A Chicago-area mailman and a local pup are breaking the norm with their iconic friendship, which has brought joy to millions online and in the community.
When Lisa Laskey got Frannie the long-haired Chihuahua in 2021, she decided to introduce her to a United States Postal Service (USPS) worker who was in the neighborhood on his route.
To Laskey’s surprise, the puppy immediately fell in love with postman Dan Larsen.
“The mailman had just pulled up. I didn’t really know the guy. I said, ‘Hey, you want to meet the newest member of my family?’ And I was holding her really close because she was tiny,” she told Fox 32 Chicago.
“And he said, ‘Yeah, sure, why not?’ And he turned his truck off. He got out of the mail truck, [I] handed her to him, and she went bonkers kissing his face, like just over and over and over, like she knew him for years and years,” the dog owner gushed. “And she was, you know, barely 12 weeks old. And I thought, ‘This is super unusual.'”
Laskey posted the cute moment on TikTok:
@lisaandfrannie How it began #FranDan #lovestory #postmanDan #frannielife #puppylove #bestlovestory #frannienation #frandanfurever
Since beginning to share Larsen and Frannie’s regular meetings, Laskey has garnered more than 11 million likes on her page. The hundreds of thousands of fans have lovingly dubbed the unlikely duo “FranDan.”
More heartwarming videos show Frannie wearing miniature coats to bear the harsh Illinois cold while rushing to the arms of her favorite mailman.
@lisaandfrannie Frannie’s #hero #postmanDan #frannielife #FranDan #puppylove #frandanfurever #sharethelove #bestlovestory #toocold
Laskey says that her little pooch waits at the front door every morning that Larsen works, Monday through Saturday. Postman Dan loves it, of course.
Members of FranDan’s fanbase, who call themselves members of “Frannienation,” also purchase t-shirts, hats, mugs, and other merchandise with the duo’s likeness to support a local rescue organization.