It’s a bit of a cliché that dogs and the mailman don’t exactly get along, but that most certainly wasn’t the case here. In fact, the four-footer Gretchen from Texas was pretty much best friends with the mailman and couldn’t wait until he showed up every day for a little bit of playtime together.
The mailman in question, Fernando, absolutely loved it and meeting Gretchen was the favorite part of his daily letter-carrying routine.
Fernando just loved spending time with the German shepherd, and they definitely shared a special bond. Gretchen would even bring him her treats to share! These two just made each other’s days a little bit brighter.
One day, Fernando didn’t find Gretchen at the home, but found a shocking note instead.
Sadly, the family’s beloved pup passed away. Aside from the note, the mailman also found Gretchen’s favorite biscuits packed in a plastic bag. Gretchen’s owners left it all behind, and they wanted to let the mailman know what happened.
“Gretchen passed away yesterday,” the note says. “She asked me to ask you if you would share her treats that she never got to finish with the other dogs on your route. She always enjoyed seeing you come to the door and was always happy to get a snack from you. Thank you, The Cimino Family.”
It’s absolutely heartbreaking to find an unexpected note like that. After he discovered it, he decided to take a picture and share it with his daughter.
“Awww, just found out one of my buddies passed away yesterday… Gretchen was a huge German shepherd but she was a teddy bear,” he wrote.
His daughter decided to share the picture on Twitter where it went viral with almost a million likes and 180,000 retweets.
“My dad is a mailman and he likes to give dogs on his route treats. Today he told us one of the dogs on his route passed away and his owners gave him this bag of treats with this note,” the viral tweet reads.
Because the tweet went massively viral and was seen around the world by millions, hundreds of people started showing up in the comments section showing their support for the family and the mailman. Some of the Twitter-users even posted pictures of their own pets to try and lift some spirits.
“I’m crying. That’s the sweetest thing,” one user said.
“I’m so sorry for your loss.
What a beautiful way to honor your sweet girl. So glad she found you—it’s clear she was cherished. Wishing you continued comfort & strength. 💕
May Gretchen Rest In Peace,” @KimSkubic told Gretchen’s owners.
The post was seen by millions – including Gretchen’s owners.
Mr. Cimino responded via his Twitter account:
My wife and I were told about Gretchen’s letter to Fernando being on Twitter. I can’t begin to tell y’all how much it has meant to us seeing how much love and support y’all have shown our girl. She was the absolute best. This is a short video of her seeing her mailman. pic.twitter.com/uK9Y2BtKtO
— DeCuervo (@DeCuervo2) April 4, 2019
“My wife and I were told about Gretchen’s letter to Fernando being on Twitter. I can’t begin to tell y’all how much it has meant to us seeing how much love and support y’all have shown our girl. She was the absolute best. This is a short video of her seeing her mailman.”
The owners embedded a heartwarming video of Gretchen seeing the mailman outside. Even though it only lasts a few seconds, you can clearly tell that these two shared a special bond together based on Gretchen’s reaction alone.
Gretchen will be missed, but she will most definitely live on forever in Fernando’s heart as well as the hearts of the entire internet.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
My dad is a mailman and he likes to give dogs on his route treats. Today he told us one of the dogs on his route passed away and his owners gave him this bag of treats with this note 😭 pic.twitter.com/JA46PU60a4
— eyelean (@amorningsting) April 1, 2019
