{"id":11285,"date":"2015-06-16T14:32:54","date_gmt":"2015-06-16T19:32:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/?p=11285"},"modified":"2015-06-16T14:32:54","modified_gmt":"2015-06-16T19:32:54","slug":"child-receives-note-from-deceased-pet-courtesy-of-usps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/2015\/06\/16\/child-receives-note-from-deceased-pet-courtesy-of-usps\/","title":{"rendered":"Child receives note from deceased pet, courtesy of USPS"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Heaven knows<\/h1>\n

Child receives note from deceased pet, courtesy of USPS<\/h2>\n

\"Doggie<\/div>\n
Norfolk, VA, Retail Associate Zina Owens
\nPhoto: The Virginian-Pilot<\/h6>\n

Three-year-old Luke Westbrook was heartbroken when the family beagle, Moe, died in April.<\/p>\n

With help from his mom, Mary, the Norfolk, VA, boy began writing letters to Moe in \u201cdoggie heaven\u201d and putting them in the mailbox.<\/p>\n

Mary retrieved the notes after Luke fell asleep \u2014 except one was accidentally collected by a letter carrier. Since the envelope didn\u2019t have a stamp, Mary expected it to be thrown out.<\/p>\n

So imagine the family\u2019s surprise when a note from Moe arrived last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in Doggie Heaven,\u201d the letter read. \u201cI play all day. I am happy. Thank you for 4 being my friend. I wuv you Luke.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Virginian-Pilot\u2019s story<\/a><\/em> about the miraculous response went viral, receiving clicks and comments from readers in about 80 countries.<\/p>\n

This week, the newspaper tracked down<\/a><\/em> the writer: Norfolk Retail Associate Zina Owens, who said Luke\u2019s note touched her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt it in my heart,\u201d she said. \u201cHere was a child who had lost his dog, and any time you love something and it goes away, it hurts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luke\u2019s letter made her day, Owens said, \u201cso I wanted to make his. It\u2019s just love. Plain and simple.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Luke<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Letter<\/a><\/p>\n