3-Year-Old Surprised With Social Distancing Dog Parade

Anyone who has had a birthday during the COVID-19 quarantine knows that it’s hard to be away from family and friends. For 3-year-old Elizabeth Guthrie, the same problem occurred. The little girl wanted to have a special birthday celebration, but her parents weren’t sure how to make that possible. Then, they came up with a genius idea.

Elizabeth loves dogs more than anything, especially the neighbor dogs. So, her family came up with a way to bring dogs to her during her special day.

Birthday Party Planning

Mary and Mike Guthrie, Elizabeth’s parents, knew they couldn’t invite people over to celebrate. But there was no reason they couldn’t have people wish her a happy birthday from a safe distance. They realized that the neighbors still had to walk their dogs anyway, so why not make an exciting event out of it? That’s when they planned a dog parade right at their North Carolina home.

Image: Screenshot, @GoodMorningAmerica/Facebook

The family posted a sign in their front yard stating the date and time of Elizabeth’s birthday celebration. They even left out fliers for neighbors to take and dropped some invitations in their mailboxes too. They expected a few kind people to bring their dogs, but they were shocked by the amazing results.

“Elizabeth loves dogs. We know 10 or 12 dogs from our neighborhood by name and by house, even if we don’t know the owner’s name,” said Mike. “The gist of [the invitation] was, ‘Hey, if you’re going to walk your dog anyway, would you mind just walking by our place between 5 and 5:30 and wish her a happy birthday with your pup?”

Elizabeth currently doesn’t have a dog of her own, but she adores all dogs. Since she doesn’t have a furry friend at home to play with, her family figured that this would be extra special for her.

A Puppy Parade

Sure enough, many neighbors took the fliers and agreed to help Elizabeth celebrate. When the big day finally came, the family was amazed by how many dog walkers showed up. Dog after dog walked by on leashes, many of them were dressed for the occasion. Some even had tutus and party hats on.

Of course, because of the coronavirus, every person had to maintain a safe distance from each other. In total, 17 dogs and 41 humans showed up. Each of them were gathered in socially distanced clusters as they walked past Elizabeth’s home. They all wished her a happy birthday as they passed, and some even held up signs for her.

Mary and Mike made sure to thank everyone that participated. Elizabeth watched every dog pass in awe. It was definitely her most exciting and most memorable birthday yet.

“I think everybody needed a pick-me-up, a little positivity,” said Mary. “This has been the biggest birthday of her life.”

Not only was this parade amazing for Elizabeth, but it helped bring joy to a lot of people during this tough time. Everyone needs a safe excuse to get out of the house and have some fun now and then. This was the perfect opportunity for people and dogs to have a good time during quarantine. Plus, they all helped make Elizabeth’s 3rd birthday one that she’ll never forget!