For many mail delivery people, spotting a dog at your destination might not be the happiest of moments. But for many others, it is, and some dogs just have a way of working their way into your heart. When you’re a UPS driver, chances are really high that you’re gonna run into a lot of dogs. Let me rephrase that. Chances are high that you’ll become great friends with many of the dogs on your route, and give them little treats or toys.
Katie Newhouser is one of those UPS drivers, and along her route she has come across some real friendly canines. She just loves hanging out with them, as long as it doesn’t slow her down much from making all those deliveries. But there’s one dog in particular – a big, lovable pit bull – that has really captured her heart. His name is Leo. And Leo loves nothing more than lapping Katie’s face with kisses.
Tina owned Leo, and she told Katie that her son found Leo when he was a little puppy. He was all alone without a mother, and Tina had to bottle-feed him. And because of that, Leo formed a tremendous bond with Tina. Leo welcomed UPS driver Katie into the family with lots of love.
But two years ago, Katie spotted a post that just broke her heart. Tina, Leo’s owner, had passed away. She considered Tina a great friend, and worried about her son and the rest of her family. And she also worried about Leo.
So Katie contacted Tina’s son, Cannon, and asked if he was Ok, and if he was taking care of Leo. But Cannon was now an active-duty Marine, and could not care for the dog. So Katie adopted Leo, and she posted a photo of him on the UPS Dogs Facebook page.
She wrote: “This is Leo …. he would always start barking as I pulled into the condo complex……He would always jump into my truck when I stopped…. his owner passed away and now he lives with me.”
Katie was a little worried at first how Leo would be accepted by her other three dogs. But all is well.
Says Katie: “It was probably confusing for him at first, [but] he has adapted well. He and his brother Moose are inseparable. Bailey, his sister, has taken a while to come around, [but] they actually play now… once Leo was introduced into the house, the whole vibe changed.”
But Katie added that it did take a while for Leo to get used to life without Tina, whining several nights after he started living with Katie. She knows he will always love his former owner, and miss her. But he also knows he’s now with others who love him just as much.
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