Paris Johnson’s delivery route was going off without a hitch last week, until she arrived at a new house for the first time. She pulled into the driveway, ready to carry a handful of Walmart bags to the door, when a large black dog came barreling towards
her car.
The dog shocked Paris. She’d encountered cats on some of her past deliveries, but she wasn’t used to being confronted by a big dog. At first, she wasn’t sure she could trust him.
“Because of [his] size, it kinda intimidated me a little bit …” Paris told The Dodo.
After hesitating for a moment, Paris realized that the dog wasn’t aggressive, but excited to meet a new friend. She soon felt comfortable enough to try completing the delivery.
As soon as she stepped onto the driveway, however, the pup had other plans. He jumped up and wrapped his arms around Paris’ torso, nearly preventing her from carrying the shopping bags to the door.
Paris eventually made it to the front door, where she met the pup’s owners. That's when she learned that his name was Rex and that he absolutely loved people.
“The owner was like, ‘Oh, he’s super friendly,’” Paris said. “He was just a sweetheart, a big teddy bear.”
Paris dropped off the bags, then walked back to her car with Rex still wrapped around her waist. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen at work before, and she felt compelled to pull out her phone and document their heartwarming encounter.
“I’ve never really experienced an animal that loving,” Paris said. “Something just told me to turn on the camera …”
You can watch that footage here:
Rex continued hugging Paris as she pressed record, happily following her to her car. But every time she attempted to open the door and say goodbye, Rex intervened.
“He kept closing my door because he would not want me to go,” Paris said. “It was the cutest.”
Sadly, Paris couldn’t stay for long, as she had other deliveries to fulfill. She eventually coaxed Rex down and headed off to the next stop, still in awe of the healing encounter she’d just had.
“[T]he universe sends you exactly what you need on the days that you need it,” Paris said. “That unconditional love that Rex gave [me] that day was definitely something that was needed.”
Rex’s hugs lifted Paris’ mood and made her shift even better that day. She hasn’t returned to the pup’s house since then, but she’s eagerly hoping to reunite with him soon. And after realizing just how special dogs are, she’s opened up to the idea of one day having a Rex of her own.
“I hope to, at some point, have a fur baby like Rex that gives that type of love and affection the way that he did,” Paris said.
