Neither snow nor rain stays them from appointed hounds

Three postal workers have adopted precious pups they found on their routes.
By ZACH STIPE
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- $450. That's how much it would cost Tony Gennaro to -- maybe -- rescue a stray dog from the streets.
"It's going to be $450 to get the shots for it that kill the heartworms," Gennaro remembers the veterinarian's office telling him.
"The dog can still die; it's hit or miss. It might be too much for the dog to handle."
Gennaro went with his gut instinct though.
The Youngstown mail carrier had become attached to the dog that had been following him around -- even while it was pregnant -- since November. It didn't matter to Gennaro that the dog had a potentially fatal disease or that his girlfriend wasn't a fan of his bringing a stray dog home. He forked over the 450 bucks anyway.
That was three weeks ago.
Today, Gennaro's eyes widen and a smile crosses his face as he pets his new pup, Lucky. The once-homeless dog is now house-trained, listens and doesn't need a leash.
"She actually looks both ways before crossing," Gennaro said with the conviction of a proud parent. "She's a smart dog. That's why I kept her."
Kindness to canines
His story is only the latest chapter in a book the U.S. Postal Service's North Side Youngstown branch might as well be writing on canine kindness.
Two other North Side branch carriers, in addition to Gennaro, have taken in dogs. Mary Hulme, a 27-year branch employee, has picked up three dogs in need during her career, and Dennis Adkins has picked up two homeless pups during his 12 years on the job.
Youngstown, especially the East Side, is a haven for neglected, abused and stray dogs, the mail carriers said. Mail for the East Side is dispatached through the North Side branch.
The carriers enjoy the company of dogs while they deliver mail.
The homeless ones actually look for you each day, Gennaro said.
The carriers try their best to improve the lives of the neglected dogs by bringing them whatever they can, such as lunch scraps or dog food.
Hulme tears up as she recounts how she kept her first stray dog.
"I found her in the parking lot here 17 years ago," she said.
"If you jump in and stay with me all day, I'll take you home," Hulme remembers telling the dog. It was a different time then; you can't invite a dog into your truck now, she added.
As Hulme clutched a picture of the recently deceased dog, her mind travels back in time.
"It was the day before Thanksgiving," she said. "So I called her Macy."
Others taken in
Hulme has since taken in two other dogs, Bailey and Buckeye, that still live with her.
Her second dog, Bailey, came from customers who grew too old to take care of the Australian-shepherd mixed breed.
Hulme calls the newest addition to her home, Buckeye, "the love of my life."
She would pass the massive 110-pound, snow-white dog every day for two years, regularly giving the dog a bone. After the owner was unable to take care of it, Hulme stepped up to the plate for the third time.
Adkins has found and kept two dogs. He obtained Itty-biddy three years ago. He persuaded the tiny pup's owners to tie up the dog so he could pick it up after work, rather than let the hound loose.
Last month, Adkins stumbled upon another stray.
The carrier saw a dog limping through neighborhoods with a bone protruding from its paw. He attempted to locate the injured canine after work, but it had disappeared.
He searched neighborhoods for about three hours, nearly giving up. Before ending his search, Adkins asked God to bring the dog to him.
"Very seldom do I go to church," Adkins said. "But I was kind of frustrated."
His prayer was answered instantly. A man on his route informed the mail carrier that the dog had been taken to the pound.
Adkins found the injured pup there and took it to veterinarian Dr. Donald Allen. Because of Dr. Allen's generosity and a $55 donation from another customer who found the cause worthwhile, Adkins' bill shrank from $305 to $70.
Lucky Lady lost a toe but is doing fine now, Adkins said.
Danger lurks
Despite the bonds the carriers have built with some stray dogs, postal workers still must be cautious.
Gennaro has been attacked by three pit bulls, and Adkins once had his hand mangled.
The potential to run into a vicious canine hasn't diminished these carriers' love of dogs, though.
"We have an unusual opportunity if we have the awareness to help animals," Hulme said. "We are kind of like the eyes and ears of a neighborhood. We can help not only our customers, but the animals who live in our neighborhoods."
"It's like a switch goes off in your mind in each of these situations," she added. "Sometimes the switch says 'I have to act now.'"