Postal Driver Adopts Pit Bull On Her Route After Dog’s Owner Passes Away

Aug 07, 2020

Back in 2017, a UPS driver named Katie Newhouser from Rancho Cucamonga, California adopted Leo - a pit bull who she would meet on her usual delivery route - after his original owner passed away.

Since postal drivers typically go on the same routes every day, they often form bonds with the pups they meet. The drivers will often bring treats or toys for their favorite dogs, and the pups reward them with kisses!

A UPS driver named Katie Newhouser absolutely loved hanging out with the dogs on her route. She grew particularly close with a big, lovable pit bull named Leo.

According to People, Leo the pit bull would hop in her truck when she drove into his owner Tina's condo complex. She said, “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.

"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 untimely death through a Facebook post. She contacted her friend’s son Cannon, a Marine who could not keep the dog and offered to foster Leo. Although Newhouser already had three pups of her own, her personal bond with Leo proved too strong to let go of the gentle giant.

Newhouser shared that it was very rough for Leo in the beginning because he had been so close to Tina. Eventually, however, Leo bonded with one of Newhouser's other dogs and it helped with the transition a great deal.

“It was probably confusing for him at first, [but] he has adapted well,” says Newhouser. “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 has been with us for three years now," Newhouser told apost in a follow-up interview in 2020. "He is still the happy go lucky pup that he was then. During that time he’s lost a fur baby brother and gained a fur baby sister." She added that Leo "loves to play in his pool" while "he and his lab brother love to play in the house."

"He is a HUGE snuggle bug. He’s always got to be near or touching his humans. For a big pittie he is a gentle giant," she enthused.

Does your dog have a special bond with postal service workers? Tell us about it in the comments and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.