Hotel Treats Stuffed Animal to a Vacation After 4-Year-Old Leaves His 'Snuggle Puppy' Behind: 'So Happy'

"Our team sprang into action once we learned there was a missing toy puppy left on property," the hotel's general manager said

A Holiday Inn Express in Virginia treated a young guest's stuffed animal to a "vacation" after the toddler accidentally left it behind following his family's stay.

It all began this past week when the 4-year-old left his plush toy puppy at the Holiday Inn Express Richmond I-64 Short Pump Area while his family was traveling from out of town, IHG Hotels & Resorts told PEOPLE in a statement.

When the family noticed the toy was at the hotel, the boy's dad contacted the company that owns the franchise, according to the post he shared on X Tuesday (formerly known as Twitter).

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Although the dad knew the Holiday Inn Express location would send it back to their family, he ended up getting some surprising news when he opened his email and learned the stuffed animal had been treated to a "vacation."

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The message even included pictures that showed the toy at the front desk, enjoying snacks, taking a nap and even having a little workout "to make sure he was strong so he could get home faster."

"We are happy that he is headed home to you! It has been such a pleasure having him here!" the story said, per the dad's post, which has gotten over 82,000 likes and 8,000 reposts as of Wednesday afternoon.

Seemingly blown away by the hotel's attention to detail, the dad shared the story on social media.

"Help them get some recognition for awesome customer service!" wrote the dad, who goes by the username HappyCaptain.

Michael, the boy's dad, tells PEOPLE that the gesture is an "amazing display of humanity."

"He was really upset that it was missing as it’s one of his favorite toys," he adds. "The message changed his outlook on the situation. He was so happy to see how much fun his snuggle puppy was having and wanted me to read it over and over so everyone could hear.'"

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Katia Diaz, general manager at Holiday Inn Express Richmond I-64 Short Pump Area, tells PEOPLE that care for their guests continues "after they check out."

"Our team sprang into action once we learned there was a missing toy puppy left on property," Diaz says. "We located the lost stuffed animal and arranged for it to be returned."

Diaz adds, "To help their son feel better about being without his friend, we had a little fun and shared photos of the adventure the toy pup had during its time with us."

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Read the original article on People.