RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (WSVN) — A California UPS driver adopted a friendly dog she met along her route after his owner passed away.
According to Inside Edition, Katie Newhouser formed a bond with Leo the pit bull when he would greet her during one of her stops.
Newhouser told the news outlet that Leo would hop in her truck when she drove into his owner’s condominium complex.
“He would love to come into the truck and go into the back to look around,” she said.
Upon hearing of the death of Leo’s owner, Tina, Newhouser said she wanted to help.
“I got to know Tina through Leo. As is the case with many of my customers that I have become friends with, I generally will know the dog’s name before their name,” Newhouser told Inside Edition.
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Newhouser initially took care of Leo in a temporary capacity.
“He would whine just before falling asleep at night,” Newhouser said. “I really do feel that he was missing Tina.”
However, she said Leo eventually developed a strong bond with her other dogs and seemed happy, which led to Tina’s family agreeing that it would be best if Leo stayed with her instead.
“I feel that this was the best-case scenario for him. He knew me already and I feel as though there was a huge bond already between us,” Newhouser said.
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