A Pittsburgh UPS driver who struck up a sweet friendship with one of the dogs on his delivery route recently learned what an impact he’d made. It all started when John Keffer heard that his colleagues were giving out dog treats with some of their deliveries. He thought it was such a great idea that he decided to do the same. Soon, it became an integral part of his day!

“It started out as a sandwich bag full, then a quart size bag full daily, and now I am up to a pocket full and a quart size bag daily,” John told Newsweek.

That’s how John met a pooch named Rosie, one of the many pets who came to look forward to his visits. However, one day, the dog was not there to greet him. Instead, he found a box of milk bones and a note with some sad news inside.

“Thank you for all the years of deliveries that came with a milk bone for our dog Rosie,” the letter read. “She knew she would get a treat each time you came. Sadly, Rosie, who was 10 years old had to be put down due to cancer… Please take this gift and continue making dogs happy when you deliver packages.”

John was saddened to learn what had happened to Rosie, but he was touched by the thoughtfulness of her owners.

“When I received the box of milk bone and the letter, I was heartbroken and it hit me hard. When I left the delivery location, I took part of my break to cry,” he said. “When you deliver to someone once a week or every day, you get used to their ‘fur babies.’ Even though you may only see them for a moment, doesn’t mean that they don’t leave their paw prints on your heart.”

Watch the video below to see John open Rosie’s farewell letter.

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.