Something Had To Be Done
He was fuming, and he knew there was something he should do about it. How could the owners let something like this happen? He had half a mind to report them, but he stopped because he didn't want the dog to end up in a shelter. There had to be something else he could do.
He looked around him and saw no one close by. That's when he called to the Dachshund, who came running toward him. They had developed a relationship during the past weeks, and he was about to do something that would change their lives forever.
Jeffrey Edwards
Jeffrey Edwards was an ordinary man living on his own in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. He worked as a mailman for a postal delivery service.
He looked forward to the small things in life. He enjoyed delivering mail and remembering the names of his regulars. There were the Johnsons on 9th Avenue and the Mendozas on Hamilton Drive. But of all the friendly people he knew, there was one family in particular that he had come to like more than the others.
The Denson's
The Denson's were Jeffrey's favorite family to deliver to. But the reason may be surprising. It wasn't the family itself that he liked, but rather their dog. The irony wasn't lost on him - a mailman who had a good relationship with a dog.
Every day on his route, he would see the little Dachshund on their front lawn. He would wag his tail excitedly and take the mail to his owner's front door.
A Bond Developed
As time went on, Jeffrey grew fond of the little dog. He decided to buy dog treats, and from then on, he would give him one of them every time he delivered their mail. He examined his nametag and noticed that his name was Buttons.
Buttons were the friendliest dog in the neighborhood. The Johnsons had a rottweiler that often barked at him, so this was a nice change of pace. But he started to notice something odd.
Something Different
Jeffrey noticed that the little dog wasn't so little anymore. Soon the Dachshund had doubled in size! Something was clearly wrong. But he had no idea what it could have been.
Was it the biscuits that he had been feeding him? He decided to cut the biscuits out of their visits and see if that would help his weight gain. But after three weeks of not feeding him anything, he was shocked at the results.
Something Wasn't Right
When Jeffrey came back to greet his furry friend, he not only noticed that the canine was still growing but also seemed like he had way less energy than he used to. He wasn't the dog he had come to know.
Buttons stopped enthusiastically greeting him or grabbing the mail and taking it in for his owners. He would just sit on the lawn and lazily look at him. Something wasn't right.
Changes
It was clear that Buttons had gone through some changes over the past few weeks. The poor Dachshund had gone through dramatic changes, including some that were very concerning.
Buttons were now triple his old body weight, and Jeffrey felt like he needed to help out the little guy. He decided to investigate further. But once he snooped around, he wished he hadn't.
Snooping Around
Jeffrey decided to investigate why the dog had gone through so many changes. He parked his van and walked up the walkway towards the back of the house. He didn't want to get spotted. Otherwise, he might get into trouble.
After making it to the back of the house, he saw a kennel where Buttons presumably sleep. And then he saw a dog bowl. But he had no idea what would happen once he investigated further.
Underneath the Bowl
Jeffrey noticed something strange about the food bowl, so he decided to tip it over. But underneath, he saw a pile of food covered in ants. We walked back to the front and looked at their front door, and that's when he noticed something else peculiar.
He bent down and picked the white papers up. They were wet from sitting out for too long. Then it finally dawned on him.
Away
The papers he picked up were the same letters he had been delivering for the last month. The owners clearly weren't around. He got angry. The fact that they had left him alone and then just piled a bag's worth of food into a bowl in the backyard.
Jeffrey knew enough about pets to know that you couldn't just leave your animals alone. At the very least, they should have gotten a sitter. He knew he would make them regret it.
Careless Owners
He felt his blood boil. He couldn't believe the owners could have been so careless. He knew he could report them for this, but he didn't want the dog getting put in a shelter. He'd find his own way of getting them back.
He looked around to make sure no one was looking and then called the Dachshund. The dog had bonded with him over the weeks and came running over. But what he did next would change the dog's life forever.
Taking Him To The Vet
Jeffrey took the poor dog to the vet to see what was wrong with him. Thankfully, once there, they were understanding about the situation. Even though he wasn't his dog, he wouldn't get into trouble for taking him in.
They started their examination to figure out why Buttons was so lethargic and big. Once they finished taking a look at him, they gave Jeffrey the news.
Overfeeding
They explained that Buttons was big just because he had eaten too much of his food too quickly. This is often when owners leave their animals alone with a lot of food.
Animals don't know how to portion and will often eat as much as they can as quickly as they can. It was also the reason why he was so tired all of the time. Now that Jeffrey knew the cause, he could help the dog out.
A Full Recovery
The vet told Jeffrey that Buttons would thankfully make a full recovery. He had no digestive impaction, and he would lose the weight with a bit of care in no time. They asked him if he knew any of the owner’s relatives who could look after him.
Unfortunately, he had no idea, he was just their mailman after all. But he knew what he had to do.
Looking After The Dog
Jeffrey told the vet he’d look after the dog while the owners were on holiday. He had to sign a foster contract so that they knew he would take care of the dog and let him leave with it.
Jeffrey never owned any dogs of his own, but he was happy to look after a dog in need. Especially Buttons, he had bonded with the dog and couldn’t leave him on his own now.
Looking Better
Over the following week, Jeffrey made sure to feed Buttons the right food and a small amount to make sure he started losing weight. He played with him in his back garden and walked him each day.
In no time, Buttons started to look a lot better. He was losing weight rapidly and was on the road to being his normal self.
His Fostering Came To An End
As much as Jeffrey enjoyed spending time with Buttons, he wasn’t his dog. He knew that he couldn’t look after him forever, and now that he was doing much better, it was time to give him back.
He was reluctant to, but it was the right thing. Buttons was interfering with his job, and life had to return to normal.
Taking Him Back
Jeffrey got Buttons in his car and took him back to the vet. They freed him from his contract and told him they’d temporarily keep him until his owners picked him up. Jeffrey thanked them and said goodbye to Buttons.
It was a sad goodbye, but Jeffrey knew he’d soon see Buttons in a week at his house anyway. Things didn’t have to be so sad!
Owners
The vet got into contact with the owners and told them about the trip to the vet. They came home from their vacation early and thanked Jeffrey for taking him to the vet. Jeffrey told them about the bond he had made with the dog.
He told them that he would continue to drop off their mail and check in on Buttons every week. It was a subtle way of telling them that he would be keeping an eye out for any trouble.
Good Relationships
Thankfully, there didn't have to be any trouble, and the family did seem genuinely sorry about the whole circumstance. They promised never to let it happen again, and Jeffrey even got to know the family over time.
It was a happy ending for everyone involved. Buttons got to keep seeing his favorite mailman, and Jeffrey got to make sure he was okay.
Getting To Know The Family
Jeffrey managed to get familiar with the Denson's. They were good people who made a mistake regarding their dog. He even got close enough to be invited to dinner. Jane and Marco were happy to share dinner with the man who helped their dog.
Jeffrey was excited to join them. He didn’t have many friends of his own, and it was nice to get some finally. But he had no idea what he’d find once he was in their house.
An Invitation
One week while he was dropping off the Denson’s mail, Marco walked out to greet him. The two exchanged words before he invited him to dinner the following day. Jeffrey happily accepted and continued his day of work.
He looked forward to being had for dinner the following night. But there was one detail he wasn’t aware of.
Getting Ready
Jeffrey had to get ready for his dinner because he didn’t have anything to wear. He was a simple single man that lived alone. The bachelor only had his work uniform, jeans, and t-shirts.
After work, he went to the clothing store and bought a button-up shirt and some khaki pants. It was a smarter look than he was accustomed to, but it was still relatively casual.
Going To The Dinner
Jeffrey couldn’t wait for his shift the next day to end. The day dragged on, and all he could think of was the dinner in the evening. Once work finished, he dropped the delivery van off and got dressed at home.
He got into his personal car and drove over to the Denson’s. Not knowing what dark secret they were hiding.
At The Door
Now at the door, Jeffrey nervously waited with a bottle of wine in hand. He was bending over to scratch his favorite dog on the head. Buttons were happy to see him, and the feeling was mutual.
Then the door opened, and Jeffrey saw his new friends beckoning him in. But he should never have stepped into the house.
An Interesting Dinner
The dinner was beyond Jeffrey’s wildest expectations. They had a pot roast and cracked open his wine. But just as he thought his evening was perfect, he noticed something strange.
He looked over past the dining room table and saw something heartbreaking. He immediately confronted the owners with what he saw.
A Wooden Box
What he saw was a collar sitting next to a wooden box with a plaque that read “Whisper.” His heart sank. His morbid curiosity got the better of him, and he had to ask if it was what he thought it was.
He had hoped that he was wrong. But they only confirmed his suspicions and nearly had him in tears.
Button’s Old Playmate
The two explained through teary eyes that they used to have two dogs. One used to be Button’s playmate, and he was much older. His name was Whisper, and they never had to watch him in the yard because they’d look out for each other.
But just a year prior, their dog passed away. Jeffrey felt so sorry for them. He understood their pain.
Remembering Him
The couple had never felt the same after their special boy passed away. They still cared for Buttons just as much as they did before, but things were dark for them.
They went on vacation to look for other dachshunds to adopt. They wanted to find a friend for Buttons.
Finding Him A Friend
Jeffrey sympathized with the family. He couldn’t believe what they had gone through. He told them that he was happy to help them find a friend for Buttons. They searched far and wide, and eventually, it paid off.
Jeffrey helped them find a cute Dachshund puppy at a shelter. The Denson’s adopted him without hesitation, and Jeffrey would check on him every week when he delivered the mail. In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.