Virginia delivery driver Alex Badecker ended up adopting one of the pups after taking the dogs to an animal rescue for assistance
A delivery driver in Virginia did everything they could during a recent shift to save two ailing abandoned pups, just days after a postal worker saved a family’s dog from a snake bite.
Alex Badecker, the driver, didn’t anticipate things to get emotional on their delivery route last month, but they eventually came upon something heartbreaking. Badecker, who uses they/them pronouns, found two emaciated pitbull mixes by the side of the road with no identity or owner in sight. One was brown and white and was eventually named FedEx, while the other was wholly brown and was named Iris. Both puppies were malnourished and covered in sores.
“Usually, Mondays this time of year, I stop and get a turtle or two out of the road, but when I saw the two of them laying there, I was worried they’d get hit, so I wanted to check them for tags,” Badecker tells PEOPLE of the moment.
“I almost cried when I came to a halt and got out; they looked so bad.” “I knew I had to finish that last delivery, but I kept thinking it would be wrong to abandon them,” they explain.
When they observed the state of the abandoned pets, Badecker did not hesitate to assist. They quickly phoned Debra Morgan, who runs a local animal sanctuary in Amelia County called Morgan’s Mutts. Morgan took in the puppies and began providing them with much-needed attention.
“I was so thankful they agreed to help, and I was worried that the longer they stayed there in the road (they weren’t moving quickly, and Iris at the time wasn’t walking great), something would happen to them,” Badecker said.”I went on break and went back to them.”
PEOPLE spoke with Morgan, who recounted what happened after the pups arrived at her shelter.Sadly, Morgan confirmed that FedEx did not survive. After the dog arrived, he wasn’t eating, and it was speculated that he either had a twisted intestine or a mass, but in his sickly state, he couldn’t handle surgery to address the issue.
.”After speaking in depth with the vet, I called everyone I knew to see if there was any way to get him healthy enough to undergo surgery, but unfortunately, he was just too weak and malnourished,” Morgan explains. “We made the decision to humanely euthanize. He was giving me kisses right up till the sedation kicked in. He was so sweet, and it broke my heart.” Following FedEx’s death, Morgan focused on finding a home for Iris to recover in, and a familiar face decided to offer their abode.
“After I posted FedEx’s passing, Alex reached out to foster-to-adopt Iris. We took her to the vet to be sure she was on the right track and to get vaccines,” Morgan says of how Badecker reacted to the news of FedEx’s death.
After the vet gave the pup the okay to move into a home, the delivery driver reunited with Iris and officially decided to adopt her.
“She has gained good weight and is still a happy, silly, affectionate goofball,” Morgan says of Iris. “She will be spayed this Friday, and we will make the adoption official soon after!”
Badecker is overjoyed. Iris has joined the driver’s elder dog, and the two new canine siblings get along quite fine. Badecker is excited for the future of their fluffy family.
“She’s such a little ball of energy and love,” adds Badecker.