UPS delivery driver Darrell Slack holds on to Pete, a wayward pup he found while doing his rounds in Turtletown on Nov. 29, 2021. He returned Pete to his owners, Paula and Terry Odom, who were delighted to receive the early Christmas present. / Photo courtesy of Darrell Slack
Forget Santa's red get-up with white trim.
For Paula and Terry Odom, this year's Christmas angel was decked out in all brown.
UPS brown.
Darrell Slack has driven the recognizable brown buggy of boxes for almost three decades, but last week he went above and beyond.
It was on Cyber Monday, which seems somewhat fitting, that Slack became a local hero in Turtletown.
Let's let him set the scene.
"So I was making a delivery to their neighbors, and Paula is out in the front yard, and she's really distraught," said Slack, who lives in Cleveland but covers more of East Tennessee than kudzu in his delivering duties. "She was yelling, and I really had no idea what was going on. All she kept saying was 'He's gone, he's gone.'
"So I asked her what she meant."
Terry Odom had taken to the streets to look for Pete, the long-time family dog, who had escaped.
Terry Odom informed Slack of the dilemma and offered details about the dog's name and his red harness. Pete had managed to get outside the gate, and considering the Odoms live near the edge of the Cherokee National Forest, well, the longer he was out of sight, the longer the odds Pete would find his way back home. Armed with this knowledge and several more deliveries to make, Slack got back to work and told Paula Odom he'd keep his eyes peeled for Pete.
"We had a lost dog a few years back, and the not knowing is the worst part," Slack said.
Slack made a few stops with his mind split between his day job and Pete, but there was no sign of the Odoms' pet.
"I made about five deliveries, I guess, and up there, there can be a few miles between houses. Some of the driveways are a half-a-mile-long drive," Slack said. "It's a remote route."
Slack turned down one of those long driveways, one that led to a couple of cabins in a gated community, and a red flash caught his eye. He stopped his truck and saw Pete about 20 yards off the driveway at the edge of woods. Slack stepped from his UPS vehicle and yelled the dog's name.
"He kind of stopped and looked at me," Slack said.
Because of the nature of his job, Slack is ever prepared for two kinds of barking - disgruntled people and antsy pets. He handles the first with kindness. The second, well, Slack said he never starts a shift without a supply of Heartland Farms dog treats from the Dollar General.
So with a handful of doggie snacks, Slack continued to call the dog's name and offer the treat as he slowly walked toward Pete. Pete slowly walked toward Slack and when he took the treat, Slack scooped up the pup.
"I put him in the back because I didn't want him to jump out the door," Slack said.
After making his run to the cabin, Slack returned to the Odoms with easily the most memorable delivery in his 29 years on the job.
"She was elated," Slack said of Paula Odom's reaction. "I told my wife that her reaction was the most fun thing I can remember in a long time.
Who knows what brown could do for you indeed.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.
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Jay Greeson