Mail carriers and dogs have a contentious relationship. Most dogs are going to bark at anyone who might be coming up to the house, both as a warning and a greeting.
My dogs are very vocal toward our postal worker. It’s kind of embarrassing how much they freak out and howl at him.
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But delivery people from UPS, FedEx, or anything else that might require a signature, get to have a different relationship with the dogs on their route.
Since the recipients need to open the door and spend a minute or two chatting, doggos can get a good sniff.
If the delivery person smells trustworthy — or brought treats — then they could become best friends.
Jason “Jay” Hardesty has been a UPS driver for a while.
On previous routes, the dogs weren’t very friendly, but two years ago he moved to a new route in a neighborhood with more people his age, many single and with friendlier dogs.
He describes the dogs as being much happier to come to the door and let him pet them.
So he started documenting all the good doggos on his Instagram account, with the hashtag #pupsofjay .
Alongside the dog pics, he also shares incredible, colorful photography of New Orleans’ architecture.
His internet fame skyrocketed recently thanks to one of his regular customers.
New York Times bestselling author Jami Attenberg shared her love of Jay’s pupper pics on Twitter and, apparently, it was exactly what these dark times needed.
Jay told BuzzFeed News that his follower count jumped by 10,000 in the first 48 hours.
Probably because this is exactly the sort of joy we all need a little bit more of these days.
Jay limits himself to posting one doggo pic every Friday, so he actually has a “waiting list.”
He doesn’t have a dog of his own, making each daily visit extra special for him.
His sudden Twitter fame brought neighbors closer, too, as they realized they shared their amazing UPS guy.
I think what really speaks to people is the clear joy Jay has while interacting with each dog.
His smile is infectious.
He’ll keep taking pics and sharing them for as long as his customers let him. “They love the fact that their dog loves me and I love them,” he said.
h/t: BuzzFeed News
