As you can imagine, the holiday season is a very busy time for delivery drivers. One UPS employee in Tennessee still had his priorities in order though, tacking a search and rescue mission onto his already busy schedule.
When driver Darrell Slack drove up to Paula Odom’s home in Turtletown, he found her distraught over her Jack Russell Terrier Pete’s disappearance. Because their home is surrounded by the 500-plus acre Cherokee National Forest, Odom began to fret the worst.
She told Fox Business:
“In that forest there are coyotes, there are bears…my fear was that Pete is not mountain-wise and wouldn’t know what to do in a situation like that and the chance we’d see him again was slim to none.”
Slack, employed by UPS for 29 years, immediately took on the problem as his own. As soon as he heard about Pete’s predicament, he offered the assistance of himself and his truck.
“She told me, ‘Our dog’s gone’ and that he had escaped the front porch. I just told her, ‘We’ll find him.’”
Always Keep Dog Treats In The Truck
As he continued doing deliveries, Slack decided to take a bit of a different route. When he reached a remote area, he suddenly spotted Pete in his peripheral vision.
Slack keeps a bag of dog biscuits in his UPS truck, which he says helps him make friends with neighborhood dogs. As he explained to WRCBtv:
“You have some that initially don’t want to warm up to you, but after you feed them for a week or so, they’re running to the truck, they’re glad to see you.”
When Slack called Pete’s name and held out a treat, Pete came running over. That enabled Slack to pick him up and put him into the truck with him.
Slack then “completed the delivery” by returning to Odom’s home with Pete in tow. Now that’s delivering on a promise.
“As he held Pete in his arms I just about collapsed. I was overjoyed,” Odom said.
Always There For His Community
Even at the busiest time of the year, Darrell Slack made time for something as important as a lost dog. He told Fox Business it’s his duty as a member of his community:
“This area is a home away from home for me and a lot of drivers feel the same way. I just love these people and when I need them, they’re there for me.”
When your dog goes missing, all you know is fear and anxiety. On top of holiday time stress, that’s the last thing anyone needs. Odom expressed sincere gratitude for Slack and noted:
“It speaks volumes — especially right now at Christmas.”
Best Christmas gift ever!
H/T: Fox Business
Featured Image: WRCBtv
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