A Very Good Dog in Colorado Is Delivering Groceries to a Quarantined Neighbor

In case you aren't yet convinced that we don't deserve dogs, listen to this story. A golden retriever named Sunny who lives with his owner Karen Eveleth in Manitou Springs, Colorado has been delivering groceries to their neighbor while she's quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is real. And it's just as adorable as it sounds. Renée Hellman lives next door to Karen and Sunny, and she's been self-quarantining because she has a health condition wherein she needs to use oxygen to help with her breathing. Because she can't go out and do grocery shopping for herself, she enlisted the help of her neighbors, both human and canine.

According to KKTV, Karen and Renée's correspondence has been going directly through Sunny. Karen told KKTV, "She got the list, she gave it to Sunny, Sunny brought it to me. I went to the store, got her groceries, and he delivered them all to her."

It takes a special kind of dog to carry groceries without getting excited by all the smells, ripping them open, and eating them. But Sunny knows his job, and he does it very well. 

According to KKTV, Sunny has been making regular trips back and forth from his home to Renée's for several weeks now. In addition to being a safe way to transport groceries (the CDC reports that there is no evidence of pets becoming sick with COVID-19), seeing Sunny is a bright (sunny!) spot in Renée's day. 

"What a wonderful thing, just a sweet thing," she told KKTV. "So he started doing the schlepping back and forth. It's been fun. It's been a real treat."

Being stuck at home isn't easy, and it's especially scary if you have underlying health conditions that make you more vulnerable. To have an adorable dog greet you with a smile and a tail wag a couple of times a week is bound to make you feel better. 

"Little things like Sunny coming over to visit is nice, and it makes you feel good," Renée said. "It's a way of communicating."

Karen is just happy that she and Sunny are able to help out in a time like this. She said, "Anybody can do something small, that can be so helpful." 

It's true! What seems like a small gesture is probably actually more important than she could ever know.

And Sunny just likes having a job to do and people who are happy to see him. I mean, come on. Look at the satisfied smile on that pup's face. He loves to get the mail for Karen and even likes to pick up trash when they go on walks. He really is a great help to those who need a little assistance. 

Sunny the golden retriever is truly a model neighbor and citizen. Karen told KKTV that she hopes sharing this story will make people smile, and that is certainly what it did. Now are you convinced? Dogs not only provide love and companionship but actual help and compassion for those in need.