His first stop was the local downtown. He loved the wooden floors and the smell of lavender shampoo, and they usually kept the Kinder Kibble in stock. But as he pulled up, a sign in the window dashed his hopes: Shipment delayed until Tuesday.

Back in the kitchen, the sound of kibble hitting the ceramic bowl was like a symphony. Jax didn't wait for an encore; he dove in, tail still wagging, while Elias finally brewed his coffee, satisfied that the "green" fuel was secured.

As they headed home, Elias set a recurring reminder on his phone to use or Chewy for their next delivery. No more dawn-patrol grocery runs.