Tears As Doorbell Cam Captures Mailman Bringing Dog Home for 'Last Time'
A Wisconsin woman has shared footage of the moment her mailman made his most-heartbreaking delivery: her recently deceased dog.
Krysten Klapatauskas, from Wausau, was inconsolable following the sudden death of her beloved German shepherd. "I got Stoli when she was 8 weeks old from a backyard breeding situation and had her for 10-and-a-half wonderful years," Klapatauskas said.
Under her guidance, Stoli bloomed, becoming the best dog she could possibly hope to be. "She learned how to track scents and found more than a dozen lost dogs, a few cats and a horse," Klapatauskas said.
It is not often that you would describe a pet as a "people person," but Stoli was, in every sense of the word. "She was very protective of her home and her momma. However, she loved everyone she met, especially children," Klapatauskas said. "Stoli's self-appointed job in the house was to herd the three cats. She always made sure where each one was."
That is why Klapatauskas has been left feeling so bereft since Stoli's passing: there just isn't another canine out there quite like her.
There had been signs something was wrong. On March 12, while out on a walk, Stoli stumbled. "I thought she had a stroke and took her to the ER vet immediately," Klapatauskas said. "Her blood work looked good, and she was diagnosed with a sprained neck."
Malachi the mailman brings Stoli the dog home one final time.
Malachi the mailman brings Stoli the dog home one final time.
TikTok/krysk710
Despite this diagnosis, Klapatauskas said she still felt something wasn't quite right with Stoli, so she sought a second opinion from her regular vet. Again, the blood work came back fine, with her veterinarian putting the issue down to "joint pain."
However, everything changed on July 4. "I woke up to find her having trouble breathing. I took her to the ER vet again," Klapatauskas said. "An ultrasound revealed a large tumor on her spleen and her abdomen filled with blood as one of the tumors had ruptured."
Klapatauskas was left facing an unimaginable choice: have Stoli put to sleep that day, or have her undergo surgery, which would, at best, give her six more months.
"I was not going to put her through that," Klapatauskas said. "She was way too good of a best friend for me to allow that to happen. I knew that I had to be the one to bear the pain of losing her."
It is a pain Klapatauskas has found difficult to bear. "She was my heart dog," she said. "She was my constant source of unconditional love and acceptance. She saw me through breakups, a career change, a move and a major medical diagnosis."
When a beloved pet like Stoli passes, you aren't just mourning the loss of a four-legged friend, you are mourning a death in the family. That is a sentiment backed up by science.
In 2019, a study published in the journal Death Studies concluded there to be "no significant differences between the levels of grief severity" among people experiencing a pet or human death.
That is what made the actions of Malachi, Klapatauskas's mailman, so special. Malachi loved Stoli. "If we were on the porch, Malachi would always give her pets," Klapatauskas said. "Sometimes, we would run into him on our walks, and he always came over to say hi."
In that sense, it felt right that Malachi would be the one to deliver Stoli's remains to Klapatauskas's house. It was a task he undertook with the utmost love and respect for his old friend.
Krysten Klapatauskas sits with her beloved dog Stoli.
Krysten Klapatauskas sits with her beloved dog Stoli.
TikTok/krysk710
"Malachi had Stoli up front with him when he left the mail center, so she was safe and secure for her last ride," Klapatauskas said. "He brought her to me and said he was so sorry for my loss and knew how much she meant to me."
That heartbreaking delivery and the emotional exchange that followed was captured on Klapatauskas's doorbell camera, with the footage later posted to her TikTok @krysk710. At the time of writing, it has been watched almost 3 million times, with Malachi's simple act of kindness touching so many.
"We just sat and cried and talked about how much it sucked that she was gone," said Klapatauskas. "He knew it was going to be a very rough time for me, and he chose to sit with me and be a source of comfort. My mom had been on her way to my house and pulled up to Malachi and I sitting on the porch together. I'm thankful he stayed until she got there."
There was something so gut-wrenching about seeing Stoli, her big bundle of love, reduced to a small box. "She hasn't fit in my lap since she was a puppy," Klapatauskas said. "That thought broke me."
But she wasn't alone at that moment, thanks to Malachi. "His kindness and compassion know no bounds, and he is an amazing human being," Klapatauskas said. "Stoli was a one-of-a-kind dog. I can only hope that my heart allows me to have that type of connection again. For now, I just need to heal."
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