Joshua Burns adopted a Golden Retriever from a kill shelter in the Carolinas. He wanted to bring a dog into his family, and he decided that bringing a dog home from a kill shelter would be the best option. Not only could he adopt a dog, but he could also save the dog’s life. After bringing the dog home, he decided to call it Shelby. As soon as Shelby got settled into her new home, she immediately brought happiness and joy to the family’s life.
What Joshua didn’t know, though, was that the family wasn’t the only one she was bringing happiness to. Twice a week, Joshua’s trash gets picked up. Before Shelby was adopted, there was nothing unusual about the trash pickup. The same man came twice a week to pick up the garbage and then went on with his day. It wasn’t until Shelby had been living with the family for a few weeks that Joshua noticed something strange.
When Joshua saw what was going on, he decided to set up a hidden camera to catch the action. It was only a day or two before the garbage man’s video was seen by millions. Each day when the garbage collector arrived at the house, he didn’t go right to the barrels to quickly get the job done. Instead, he would take a couple of minutes to say hello to Shelby and to pat her for a little while. In the video, you can tell that Shelby and the garbage collector knew each other very well. Shelby ran right over to the man, and they played for a few minutes. At the beginning of the video, you can see Shelby’s excitement when the garbage collector arrives at the house.
Joshua knew immediately that the two of them knew each other pretty well. Joshua says that it’s a simple video, but it shows how kind the garbage collector is. Rather than rushing to get his job done, he took just a couple of minutes out of his day to give Shelby some attention. When Joshua watched the video for the first time, he realized he had to post it on YouTube. He wanted the world to see how kind the garbage collector was and how sweet his dog Shelby was.
When he posted the video, he says he never expected to get too much attention out of it, but since posting it, the video has been seen over 4.8 million times. Many of the people who saw the video commented on it, praising the garbage man for being so kind to the sweet dog.
The video begins with the garbage collector getting out of his truck and immediately calling the dog over. After the man pets Shelby for a few minutes, he sees Joshua with the camera. The garbage collector goes over to Joshua, and the two men shake hands. Joshua wanted the man to know how much it meant to him that he took the time out of his day to give his dog the attention that she desperately wanted.
According to Joshua, there aren’t very many people in the world today like this guy. He says people today are always in such a rush, and they ignore the little things in life. These are the things that could put a smile on people’s faces. Joshua says that if everybody took a minute or two out of their lives the way that this man in the video does, the world would be a better place, and people would be much happier.
As for Shelby, it didn’t bother her that she was filmed. She still waits around for the truck to pull up so she can get a couple of minutes of attention from the man she considers her friend. Joshua thinks it’s wonderful that Shelby went from being on death row to being an internet sensation. Joshua says that Shelby never let the fame go to her head either. She is the same lovable, friendly dog that she was the day he picked her up from the shelter.
As for the trash collector, he continues his special moments with Shelby when he picks up the Burns’ garbage. As loyal companions, dogs often wait eagerly for not only the trashman but also the mailman. Here’s a heartwarming example: a Golden Retriever named Winnie waits for her best friend, the mailman, to come every day. Winnie’s owner, Ellen, says it’s her favorite part of the day. I think it might be the mailman’s favorite part of the day too.
