Eric Trump has taken a cue from his animal-loving wife Lara and is urging his fans to adopt dogs from shelters, rather than buy them from stores.
The 36-year-old, who has faced fierce backlash for hunting big-game animals in Africa, took to Instagram on Sunday to share a heartwarming video of his family’s rescue dog Ben licking his five-month-old daughter, Carolina.
‘This is proof of what unconditional love can do — the video is Ben today, part of our family, feeling loved and so happy every single day,’ he wrote.
Look of love: Eric Trump took to Instagram on Sunday to share a sweet video of his family’s rescue dog Ben giving his daughter Carolina kisses
Adopt, don’t shop: In his caption, he shared his love for Ben and made a case for adopting dogs from shelters, rather than buying them in stores
The clip shows Lara, 37, holding Carolina while Ben rests his head on her shoulders. In the background, Eric can be heard telling the dog to give the baby girl ‘kisses,’ and he happily obliges.
‘Ben loves you so much. Do you love Ben?’ Lara asks their only daughter. ‘Thank you, Ben,’ she adds as the dog continues to lick them.
Eric also posted photos of Ben before they started fostering him, writing: ‘The pictures were Ben before he came to us. He was abused, forgotten and thrown in a shelter to die.
‘We could have never guessed the love and joy Ben would bring to our family those 4 short years ago, and we wouldn’t trade him for the world,’ he added, using the hashtags ‘#AdoptDontShop’ and ‘#RescueDogsRock.’
So sad: He also posted photos of Ben covered in mange right after he was rescued, explaining that the stray was ‘abused, forgotten and thrown in a shelter to die’
Making a difference: Eric and his wife Lara signed up to foster Ben, but they ended up making him a permanent member of their family
Doing great: Ben has made a full recovery over the past three years, and Lara often shares photo of him playing with her two-year-old son, Luke
The stray beagle was so sick when he was brought to City of San Antonio Animal Care Services in April 2016 that he had to stay at a veterinary hospital for a month.
The poor dog was covered with mange to the point that most of his fur was gone, leaving his raw, sore, pink skin showing through.
When Ben was finally ready to leave, he was picked up by a Rescue Dogs Rock NYC, a New York-based rescue group. From there, the dog made his lucky way to Eric and Lara, who agreed to foster him.
The couple, who also have a beagle named Charlie, fell in love with the dog and decided to make him a permanent member of their family in May 2016.
Party of six: Eric and Lara also have a beagle named Charlie (back), and the dogs often appear in their family photos
Hard to handle: Eric has faced backlash for big-game hunting after photos of him and his brother Don Jr. posing with their trophy kills in Africa went viral
Defense: In January 2016, after pictures of the brothers posing with their trophy kills prompted fury online, President Trump defended his sons
Angry: Earlier this month, animal rights activists staged protests outside of Eric and Lara’s New York City apartment building as part of the 2020 Worldwide Rally Against Trophy Hunting
Lara, an animal-rights activist, pays tribute to Ben every year on the anniversary of his adoption, and she often shares photos of their dogs playing with their two-year-old son, Luke.
The mother of two co-chaired the second annual Rescue Dogs Rock gala with Georgina Bloomberg in October, just a month before her father, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, entered the 2020 presidential election.
Lara’s immense love of animals is at odds with Eric’s passion for trophy hunting, and earlier this month, dozens of animal rights activists staged protests outside of their New York City apartment building as part of the 2020 Worldwide Rally Against Trophy Hunting.
The protesters also stopped by the home Eric’s older brother Donald Trump Jr. shares with his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle, who often goes hunting with him.
All smiles: On February 14, Lara shared a black and white photo of herself with her husband in honor of Valentine’s Day
‘Oreos for two’: On Sunday, she posted a sweet snapshot of Luke having a play date with her friend Amanda Kennedy’s daughter Grace
President Donald Trump defended his eldest sons’ interest in big-game hunting after images of them posing with their trophy kills — including an elephant and jaguar — went viral.
‘My sons love to hunt. They are members of the NRA, very proudly. I am a big believer in the Second Amendment,’ he said during a press conference in January 2016.
‘My sons are hunters. Eric is a hunter and I would say he puts it on a par with golf, if not ahead of golf. My other son, Don, is a hunter. They’re great marksman, great shots, they love it.’
While Eric paid tribute to their dog this weekend, Lara shared a black and white photo of herself with her husband in honor of Valentine’s Day.
On Sunday, she posted a sweet snapshot of Luke having a play date with her friend Amanda Kennedy’s daughter Grace.
‘Oreos for two,’ she captioned the image, which shows the two pals eating cookies at the table in Grace’s playroom.
Source: dailymail US
