Oliver is a 14-year-old Golden Retriever who is very independent. From the time he was a puppy he’s always wanted to wander, says his mom, Sue. She tells the Dodo that he always wants to get out of the house and go off and touch other people’s lives. And he always returns home.
He’s gone over on many “surprise” visits to the neighbors over the years. In fact, he’s visited next door neighbor Melissa’s home for 9 years and become part of her family.
Now that Oliver is older, he only visits Melissa and her family as he knows his way to their house by heart. Melissa and Sue let each other know when Oliver is on the move and keep tabs on him (he has a GPS tracker now). He’s got a pretty consistent schedule and after staying at Melissa’s for the day, he always goes home around 5 o’clock.
Melissa says her best friend (Oliver) has been the most welcome visitor, keeping her family on a schedule through COVID. And Oliver loves it too as he loves people to be excited that he visits. In fact, Melissa says he expects it! (And typical to a Goldie, he heads to the fridge every day!)
Viewers love Oliver’s story. “This is what we humans refer to a ‘village.’ Wished every neighborhood could reflect this type of animal/human contact without weirdness,” wrote one viewer.
“What a Great story, who wouldn’t like to have an Oliver in their life,” observed one person.
“This is one of the cutest, most adorable things I have ever seen. Oliver is like an old man that refuses to stop driving. When Oliver passes, he’s going to have hundreds of people in tears,” wrote another.
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