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Colorado Dog Delivers Groceries to Neighbor in Need Amid Coronavirus Outbreak: 'He’s a Hero'

In order to help keep her neighbor safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, one Colorado woman has turned to her dog Sundance for help.

Karen Evelth, who has lived near Renee Hellman for over a decade, came up with a clever way to make sure her neighbor — who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and requires oxygen to breathe — could get groceries without leaving the house, according to KKTV.

After Hellman decided to self-quarantine, Evelth trained her golden retriever, nicknamed Sunny, to pick up Hellman’s grocery list, and then after the shopping was done, bring her groceries to her front door.

He’s a hero for sure,” Evelth told KRDO, adding that even though her dog has been helping out for several weeks now, her neighbor still gets excited every time. “She always runs to the window to see that ‘Oh my God I can’t believe he did it again, and again, and again.’ ”

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In addition to providing Hellman with the food she needs, Sunny’s visits also help her feel less isolated.

“Little things like Sunny coming over to visit is nice, and it makes you feel good. It’s a way of communicating,” she told KKTV.

“We have to have something fun in our lives, and this is definitely fun,” she added in an interview with KRDO.

Unsurprisingly, Evelth couldn’t be prouder of how her pet is stepping up in a time of need. “He’s really special to me, and I’d be lost without him because he helps me so much, so I wanted him to help other people. That’s exactly what he did,” she told KRDO .

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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a statewide stay-at-home order earlier this month, which is currently set to last until April 11.

As of Monday, there have been 2,315 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state and 46 deaths from COVID-19 related illness, according to a New York Times database.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. To help provide doctors and nurses on the front lines with life-saving medical resources, donate to Direct Relief here.