Golden Retriever's Final Moment With Favorite UPS Driver Is Bringing People To Tears
You never know when it's the last time you'll see someone. For dogs who've bonded with a special delivery person, mail carrier, or random stranger who became the best part of their day, this hits hard. They can't understand why all of a sudden their person no longer stops to see them, leaving them heartbroken.
Abbey, the Golden Retriever, planned her whole day around seeing Ed, the UPS driver, bringing him her favorite stuffie in exchange for treats. But now that Ed retired early-with no warning to Abbey and her family-they had no idea the last video they filmed with the devoted driver was actually goodbye.
@abbeysgoldenlife Our next driver has some big shoes to fill! #ups#everydayheros#unexpectedgoodbye#kindnessmatters#fyp
Making Love Out of Nothing at All (Every time I see you all the rays of the sun) - Air Supply
The love story of Abbey and Ed has entertained the masses since July 2025, showing that these special deliveries go far beyond any packages. Seeing Ed made Abbey's day brighter, and I think the feeling was mutual. The tragedy of not knowing this video was the last interaction the sweet pup and Ed would have struck a chord among everyone following Abbey's journey.
"Well, it's Sunday morning, and I'm crying over a Golden and [her] UPS driver. Thanks TikTok," one fan wrote. "Crying over Ed retiring was NOT ON my Sunday list," another added.
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Thousands more contributed their thoughts, with many petitioning for UPS to make sure Ed knows about the "final" goodbye clip in hopes he'll make one last trek to the good girl for an official send-off.
This precious bond between the Golden Retriever and driver is one you won't soon forget. To watch Abbey take a stuffie to him each time is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. I know she will miss him because we'll miss watching these sweet interactions.
@abbeysgoldenlife She never forgets her toy…he never forgets her treats! #upsdeliveries#goldenretrieverlife#heartwarmingcontent#kindnessmatters
Making Love Out of Nothing at All (Every time I see you all the rays of the sun) - Air Supply
Do Dogs Remember People Who've Left?
The saddest thing about Ed's early retirement is that Abbey is a dog and dogs are capable of understanding when people leave, and they have the capacity to hold memories of that person (or people) for years, even throughout their whole lives-just not the way we do.
Barri J. Morrison, DVM, tells PetMD that dogs have episodic and associative memory. They can recall events from the past even when not trying to, and they remember experiences based on what they associate with that event.
For example, if every time Abbey's mom says, "Ed's here," Abbey learns to associate that with seeing Ed and getting treats and pets. Naturally, it became a learned habit that will stay in her memory for years to come, and as much as dogs are capable, she will miss him. Hopefully, the next driver can fill Ed's big shoes for Abbey's (and our) sake!
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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 8:55 AM.