It’s safe to say that no one gets as excited about the arrival of the mail truck as Frannie. The little dog’s whole day revolves around it.
Every morning, Frannie waits by the door, watching for the white truck to pull up to her cul-du-sac. And as soon as she spots it, her whole body starts to shake with excitement.
But the 5-month-old longhaired Chihuahua isn’t interested in getting letters — she only has eyes for her mailman, Dan.
“It’s a real, emotional connection,” Lisa Laskey, Frannie’s mom, told The Dodo. “She fell in love with him the day after we brought her home.”
On that fateful day, Laskey had gone out to retrieve the mail, cradling her new puppy in her arms. She stopped to chat with Dan briefly and asked if he’d like to hold Frannie.
“He got out of his truck and made all these googly faces at her and let her kiss him,” Laskey said. “And ever since that day, it’s like, now this must happen every day.”
Dan has been a neighborhood staple for years — always timely and diligent when it comes to his job. “He’s always been the kindest mailman ever, and everyone in our neighborhood loves him,” Laskey said.
It wasn’t a huge surprise to Laskey that her pup immediately fell in love with Dan, too, but their heartwarming daily routine constantly impresses her.
“Frannie will just sit on her little bed by the door and watch — she knows the white truck. And when the truck starts coming, her little body starts to shake and she’ll let out a little yap to let me know that he’s here,” Laskey said. “I try to grab my shoes and be ready for her, and I throw on her leash. As soon as he steps up to our mailbox, I’ll put her on the driveway and just let her rip. She runs down the whole driveway until she gets to him … and he’s just laughing — this just makes his day.”
Frannie always looks forward to Dan’s visits, so when he takes a vacation, the time apart can be tough on her.
Not only does Dan brighten up Frannie’s day, but playing with the little dog always gives Dan a boost while he’s on his route.
“I think at this point he’s happier to see her than she is to see him on some days,” Laskey said. “It’s really turned into a mutual friendship and special connection.”