UPS Driver Adopts Sweet Dog On Her Route After Dog's Owner Dies
Leo the friendly pit bull suffered a tragedy when his beloved owner Tina passed away. Leo was adopted by Tina after her son Cannon brought him home as a puppy. Since Leo was too young to have been separated from his dog mom at the time, he wasn't able to eat solid food. So, Tina bottle-fed the pup, which led to a unique bond between the two.
Leo also had a bond with his local UPS driver named Katie Newhouser. According to Pup Journal, Newhouser would always be greeted by a very excited and friendly Leo.
"He would hear my truck come into the condo complex and start barking and scratching at the door to come down to the truck. He would love to come into the truck and go into the back to look around," Newhouser told Pup Journal. "I remember one day I was driving up one of my busier streets and they were coming down the street and all of a sudden there was Leo popping his head out the passenger side barking at me! He barked all the way down the street!"
Newhouser learned of Tina’s sudden death through Facebook. She promptly got in contact with Tina's son Cannon, a Marine who was unable to keep the dog, and offered to adopt her sweet pit pull pal. Although she already had three dogs of her own, she knew she and Leo shared a special bond.
"It was probably confusing for him at first, but he has adapted well," Newhouser told People. "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."
One adjustment for Leo was his diet. He was so used to Tina giving him human food, but Katie doesn't typically give her dogs human food. Leo put on his best begging face and puppy dog eyes to get some good ole human food. And it did get Newhouser to come around a little bit. Newhouser confessed that she now adds boiled chicken to all of her dogs' doggie food, which could account for why the others were so welcoming to their new fur sibling!
The biggest adjustment for Leo was Tina's absence. "Leo missed Tina when he first got here," Newhouser told Pup Journal. "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."
Though Leo continues to mourn the death of Tina, he is getting acclimated to life with his new owner and furry siblings. "He is the sweetest, most lovable dog that you will ever meet," Newhouser told People.
Leo is lucky to have befriended Newhouser, the friendly delivery driver who would let Leo come into her truck and has now let Leo come into her home and into her heart.
Written By: Kate
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