Most dogs hate being dropped off at daycare — Not Riley! In fact, the five-year-old golden retriever, who lives in Belmont, North Carolina, loves being at the Happy Dog Cafe & Boutique so much that he recently decided to pay the center a visit all by himself.

The chain of events began on May 6 when his owner, Tonia Mosteller, let Riley out in the backyard. But the pet had bigger plans than to relax and enjoy the warm spring afternoon. Earlier that day, Riley had run into his pals who were spending the day at the Happy Dog Cafe & Boutique, and wanted to be with them. Hence, as soon as he was alone, the smart dog lifted the gate latch and began the mile-long walk to the doggy daycare.

When Tonia returned a short time later, she found the backyard empty and the gate wide open. Fortunately, before she had time to panic, her husband called to let her know that Riley was safe and having the time of his life at his favorite daycare.

According to Teresa McCarter, owner of Happy Dog Cafe & Boutique, a customer had found Riley patiently sitting outside, just waiting to be let in. As soon as Teresa opened the door, the golden retriever barged in to greet 26 of his best friends, who all seemed as thrilled to see him.

Tonia was not surprised that Riley knew exactly how to get to the daycare, given that he has been going there since he was a puppy. She was, however, amazed that he loved it enough to escape from the house. Though the Mostellers offered to pick Riley up, Teresa would not hear of it. She decided that if Riley had made the effort to get to the daycare on his own, the least she could do was allow him to enjoy a complimentary day with his pals. Hopefully, Riley had a great time because to ensure he doesn’t pull the same trick again, Tonia has added an extra lock to the backyard gate!

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