The UPS Dogs Facebook page is a delightful website celebrating relationships between UPS drivers and dogs along the way.
Because riders typically go on the same paths every day, they often create bonds with the pups they meet. The drivers will often take treats or toys for their favorite dogs, and the pups will reward them with kisses! A UPS driver named Katie Newhouser liked to hang out on her route with the pups. She grew particularly close with a large, lovable pit bull called Leo.
Also, Katie got close to Leo’s mother, Tina. Tina informed Katie that when he was a puppy, her child discovered Leo. Leo was very young and small, and Tina had to feed him with small bottles. Leo considered Tina his mother, and the two formed an amazing bond. They did it all together!
Katie saw a heartbreaking Facebook article in July 2017: Tina had passed away. Katie was affected by her friend’s death, and she was also concerned about what was going to happen to Leo. Katie approached the daughter of Tina, Cannon, and inquired if the dog had been taken in. But Cannon was an active duty Marine, so he was unable to bring Leo in.
And so, Tina chose to embrace Leo herself. She posted the news on the UPS Dogs Facebook page in a heart-warming article.
“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 wrote on the UPS Dogs Facebook page.
“It was probably confusing for him at first, [but] he has adapted well,” says Katie. “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.”
“Leo missed Tina when he first got here,” Katie said. “He would whine at night before he would fall asleep. It was heartbreaking, really. He still does every once in a while. I know he misses her.”
While Leo will always love and miss Tina, he has thankfully found an amazing place to call home with a mother and siblings who love him more than anything.
