Darrell Slack drives for UPS. He spends most of his day behind the wheel of the delivery truck, and he mainly has boxes upon boxes in the back to keep him company.

With how simple and by-the-book his job can be, one can imagine that it can get monotonous for Darrell. It’s the same old routine. At least it pays the bills, which is the important thing.

Now, the humble UPS driver found himself experiencing a very different work day.

It was the week following Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Already a very busy week for UPS drivers. Darrell was no exception. You’d think he’d have little time for anything other than work, but you’d be surprised at the reality of it.

In the back of the truck are boxes of dog treats.

According to Darrell, it’s typical for some UPS drivers to keep a stock of dog treats on hand.

With the number of strangers’ dogs they meet on their trips, it helps to bring a little token of goodwill.

What a coincidence then, that Darrell ended up really needing to use the treats he had on board.

He was on a delivery route when a worried woman stopped him for help. Her name was Paula Odom, and she’d lost her dog.

It was a Jack Russell Terrier named Pete. The breed is notoriously energetic, and will happily gallivant to its heart’s content if given a big enough area.

And once Pete escaped through his home’s gate, he had a very, very large area at his disposal. Specifically, he had hundreds of acres of Tennessee’s outdoors to explore.

The wilds of Tennessee are gorgeous, but not free of danger.

Black bears and Bobcats are known to inhabit the wilds of Tennessee. A 15-pound Jack Russell Terrier wouldn’t put up much of a fight.

Paula was worried sick, and one couldn’t blame her. But she was lucky that Darrell crossed paths with her.

He had a vehicle, knowledge of Tennessee’s routes, and most importantly, dog treats stored in the back.

Darrell got to it. Pete may have been a small dog, but Darrell’s eyes have been trained from decades of driving for UPS. He’s seen all kinds of things on the roads and beside them.

The UPS driver thought his chances were pretty good. He took the other routes he told Paula about.

Before long, Darrell spotted something. A small Jack Russell Terrier that couldn’t be anyone else.

“It just so happened I caught a glimpse of him in my peripheral vision.”

That day was when the treats he always carried proved more important than ever. He took out a treat from one of the boxes to get Pete’s attention.

“I had the treat in one hand. And as he got close enough, I was able to get a hold of his harness.”

Into the truck, Pete went. He was to join Darrell for the rest of the work day until it was time to bring him home.

When that time came, Darrell gave Paula one giant reason to smile. He’d proudly located and brought back her dog, just in time for the Christmas season.

It was a gift better than anything else, and Darrell was joyful to have been of help.

Now, the Odoms could celebrate Christmas knowing their household was all together.

Watch Darrell and Paula tell the story right below. Consider sharing this article with friends and relatives too!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Local 3 News, Sciencing