Tennessee UPS driver gives lost dog a lift home

Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A UPS driver in Tennessee ended up making an unexpected delivery when he found a resident's lost dog and gave the canine a lift home.

Darrell Slack, a UPS driver for 29 years, said he was making deliveries in Turtletown when he spotted resident Paula Odom appearing distraught in the front yard of a home.

"She told me, 'Our dog's gone' and that he had escaped the front porch," Slack told FOX Business. "I just told her, 'We'll find him.'"

Odom said she was concerned that the 7-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Pete, would run afoul of wildlife from the surrounding Cherokee National Forest.

"I was absolutely in tears and just thought I'd never see him again," Odom told WRCB-TV.

Slack said he was in a nearby remote area when he spotted Pete in the distance.

"I just so happened I caught a glimpse of him in my peripheral vision," Slack said.

He said he used some dog treats he keeps in the truck to get close enough to grab Pete's harness.

Slack said Pete rode with his packages.

"I put him in the back because I didn't want him to jump out the door," Slack told the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Slack hand-delivered Pete to Odom.

"As he held Pete in his arms, I just about collapsed," Odom said. "I was overjoyed."

Slack said he was happy to be able to help. He said residents of the neighborhood would have done the same for him.

"This area is a home away from home for me and a lot of drivers feel the same way," Slack said. "I just love these people and when I need them, they're there for me."