Texas mailman rushes to adopt dog from daily route after his veteran-owner passed away

When Floyd's owner passed away, the 70-pound dog was surrendered to the City of Denton Animal Shelter with no one to take care of him. But one morning, before the shelter even opened, someone who had known him for years was already waiting to take him home. That someone was Ian Burke, a mailman from Destin, Texas, who had met Floyd while delivering mail along his former route. For about a year and a half, Burke stopped by the same home every week and was greeted by Floyd and his owner, a wheelchair-bound Vietnam veteran who checked his mail every day, without fail.

"He got out the door and charged at me, right like a little puppy," Burke told WFAA, recalling the first time he met Floyd. Eventually, Burke was reassigned to a different route and stopped seeing them, but just last Saturday, the carrier who had taken over Burke’s former deliveries told him what had happened — the veteran had passed away, and Floyd had ended up at the city shelter.

After hearing the news, Burke knew exactly what he had to do. He arrived at the shelter ten minutes before it opened, determined to be the first in line. "I went down to the shelter at about 10 a.m. when they opened. I got there at 9:50 a.m. to make sure I was first in line," he said. And by the time he left, Floyd had a new address. "I'm taking this guy home with me," Burke told WFAA, "I don't take it lightly, [this isn't] some random dog I'm adopting." He said he felt a deep responsibility to step in and care for Floyd, especially knowing how much the dog had meant to his former owner.

"I kind of felt responsible to take care of him. I think he’d be pleased to know that his former mailman is taking good care of his dog," Burke told KVUE. What started as a weekly exchange at the mailbox had grown into something far more meaningful, and Burke said he had always appreciated how Floyd’s owner made a point to greet him during every visit. Floyd's adoption gave him a chance to care for a dog that had already been cherished, offering him a continuity of emotional purpose. This kind of shared bonding can be meaningful for both the owner and the dog. An Oregon State University study found that foster dogs who developed secure attachments to their caregivers performed better on cognitive tasks and showed less neurotic behavior than those with weaker bonds, even when compared to dogs that had been waiting in shelters. 

Now, with Floyd living by his side, Burke hopes others will consider giving shelter animals a second chance. "Probably one of the best things the postal service inadvertently issued me," he said with a smile. And judging by viewers' reactions to his story, he’s not the only one who thinks so. @lisamayer3902 commented, "Great story. So happy to hear Floyd is with someone that he knows and will have a forever home." @ryna03 wrote, "Upstanding young man. I'm positive his former owner would be so happy and thankful." @ruthietreselan added, "Wow. It’s Monday morning, and this is my first news story of the day. Brought a tear to my eye. So amazing. Beautiful dog."