Our jobs allow us to interact with other people and become their friends along the way.

While it is not necessary to be all friendly with whoever we meet, a little ‘hi’ or ‘hello’ could mean a lot to them. Sparking these acquaintances and further into friendship is something that naturally happens. You’ll get along well and be more comfortable when you share the same vibes.

In this story’s case, it was becoming friends with not only the human but also their dog.

Katie Newhouser is a UPS driver who, like others doing deliveries, has a regular route. As for Katie, hers passes by a condo complex in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

She often meets people on her route and never hesitates to greet them. But there’s one individual she would always stop by to say ‘hello’ to.

His name is Leo, and he had a hooman named Tina.

Katie loved dogs and said she would often stop by whenever she saw a dog. Leo wasn’t an exemption. Their interaction started when she saw Tina walking Leo, and she stopped to pet him. He let her and has loved that interaction since.

Over time, Katie became friends with Leo and Tina.

Leo would get very excited whenever he saw Katie. He would race out to her whenever she arrived and smother her with kisses. Tina loved their friendship and interaction. She felt like it was the best part of each other’s day.

However, Leo’s life took a major turn.

Katie returned to work from a vacation and decided to visit Tina and Leo. As she pulled in, she saw Tina’s son, Cannon, taking out furniture in the back, and she waved to him. That time, she only thought maybe they were moving because the condo association didn’t want Leo there.

She checked Tina’s Facebook account since she wasn’t answering her calls. Her heart sank at what she saw.

Katie discovered that Tina had passed away, explaining that all the furniture had been removed. Her thoughts went to Leo. She knew Cannon was in the Marine Corps and would be in training soon, so she asked him what he was planning to do with Leo.

“I said [to Cannon], ‘I’ll take Leo until you can come back and get him from your training. Then I picked him up that following Saturday. I knew he had nowhere to go, and I didn’t want him to end up in a shelter and with somebody who was not going to be good for him,” Katie told The Dodo.

When she picked Leo up, Katie was not in her UPS truck, but he knew it was her.

He ran up to her and immediately hopped in her truck. She took him for a short ride before heading home. While he enjoyed the car ride, she noticed he was confused about where she was taking him.

It took a while for Leo to adjust to his new home.

Katie said he would often whine at night, missing Tina. But through time, he learned to love his new family. He got two new dog siblings, and he definitely loved the backyard. Most especially, he had Katie, and if he could talk, I’m sure he would thank her for not leaving him behind.

Watch the video below and let their story tug your heartstrings. Would you take in a dog in that same situation?

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Source: Inside Edition YouTube Channel, The Dodo