Until recently, Winston and Benny had never seen a single snowflake. The two one-year-old Golden Retrievers lived in Saint Petersburg, Florida (USA), where summer temperatures regularly soar to around 40°C. This could be a challenging reality for both the dogs and their owners.
Everything changed in November when their owner, 24-year-old Ellie Schraft, moved with them to Madison, New Jersey (USA). And on Sunday, 14th December, the scenery changed dramatically.
Florida dogs face their first winter
That morning, as she opened the door to a garden completely covered in SNOW, Ellie Schraft grabbed her phone. She captured the exact moment Winston and Benny set their paws in the snow for the very first time. The result was a flurry of frantic running, clumsy leaps, rolling around, and pure, uncontainable excitement.
"I was so happy to see them playing like that," she told Newsweek. "Living in Florida during the summer was tough. It was almost 38°C every day, so we could hardly ever take them for a walk."
Since moving to the northeastern United States, the two dogs seem to have found a new lease of life. "They absolutely love the cold," Ellie continued. "It's also the first time we've had a house with a garden. We used to live in a flat. Seeing them run around freely like this just melts my heart."
A heartwarming viral hit
Shared on TikTok on the account @winstonandbenny, the video quickly became a huge hit, racking up over 276,000 views and 28,900 likes.
On that day, Winston and Benny spent nearly an hour outside, playing non-stop. They chased each other, had playful tussles, and even dug up sticks hidden under the snow. And ever since, it's been hard to get them to settle down. "They want to go straight back out as soon as they come inside," their owner joked.
