Dog shares the 'sweetest' relationship with the garbage collector, her best friend

Editor's note: This article was originally published on September 14, 2022. It has since been updated.

Dogs are the most selfless and heartwarming beings in this world. Ishaan Chatterjee's dog, Lily, is more than just her owner's best friend. She has made a second best pal, the garbage collector, David. Every Friday for the past two years, Lily the Labrador waits in the yard for David, and when he passes by, he stops to offer her treats, pet and play with her. Lily has always enjoyed spending time in her Bedford, New Hampshire, front yard. She greets practically everyone who passes by and Chatterjee has observed that with that disposition, it's impossible for passersby to resist making friends with the dog.  

She enjoys sitting and observing neighbors go by. When she encountered a canvasser or mailman, she was always prepared to wave and pet them. Sadly, not everyone stopped to notice this affectionate puppy. Everyone but the garbage man. Every Thursday night, Lily's family would empty the trash cans and the following morning, a truck would come and pick them up. Lily saw that David gave her a lot of attention. “Their relationship has blossomed into the sweetest thing,” Chatterjee, told The Dodo. “We actually give [David] holiday gifts every year to show our appreciation for how he treats Lily.”

Lily and David have a unique relationship. Chatterjee claims that while Lily shows affection to everyone, including those who aren't dog lovers, he can tell that David and Lily have a closer bond. Although it undoubtedly has something to do with the candy in his pockets, Chatterjee thinks Lily's friendship with David also speaks volumes about Lily's character. Lily will always return your compassion if you do so, regardless of who you are or what you do.

Chatterjee enjoyed observing the two by the window as their friendship developed brilliantly. He didn't want to interfere, so he captured those beautiful moments. His TikTok videos also started receiving a lot of attention, with many people adoring the dog and the relationship between the two. His first video had roughly 750,000 views, and his subsequent one received more than 2 million.

The video started doing rounds on social media, with many users commenting that it was very nice of David to take time to pet Lily and form a bond with her. A user commented that he probably looks forward to this every week, to which another user who works as a delivery agent responded, "I guarantee you that he does. I’m a delivery driver, and I make a note of every house that has a dog that has the potential to be pet, even if I don’t get to." TikTok user Edna Morales suggests that "they must've known each other in a past life". Another user @my.cat.drools asked for "the dog and the waste technician" to have "their own channel".

Some users wondered how the dog knows it's a particular day, to which other users responded by saying dogs are usually vigilant about things such as specific routines or a particular noise or sound that makes them realize what day it might be. "I'm guessing the dog can hear the garbage truck far before it reaches the house. The owner may also have a routine (like taking out the trash every Friday morning) that the dog knows," a user explained.

“She shows us how to be more kind to others!” Chatterjee said. “It’s amazing what we can learn from animals.”