MY sheepdog was maced by the post office lady
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| Oh that's so mean! Poor doggie! People who are that nervous about dogs should not be postal carriers. How is your doggie doing? He must've been so shocked and hurt. Poor sheepie! |
| IF you proceed against the letter carrier, or do anything other than be very apologetic and talk to her and make nice, she will put your house on notice that they won't deliver your mail anymore unless your dog is not outside ever again... |
| OMG!!!!!!!!
How very very mean. I researched for weeks before getting my youngster, and according to my research, they could be protective (?). So, well I drove up to see puppies on this farm and at least 30 adult sheepies ran freely up to my car. Now being a dog person all of my life I found it with-in myself to step out of my car, ughhhh, and was kissed to death. I thought, oh yeah, protective, lol, so far ... I don't think so. I am sooo sorry for you and mostly your baby, I have been maced, and it FREEKING HURTS! BAD BAD MAIL PERSON!  |
| Wow, how awful! Poor pup |
| Poor Baby!! That's terrible!! |
That's terrible! Did she confuse him with a pit bull or presa canario 
I hope your boy is okay, no eye damage or anything. Sadly, Ron is right...you won't get your mail if you complain. Doesn't seem right to me. |
| OMG!!!!!! thats horrible......hows the pup doing? did you scream at the carrier? I would have!!!! give get better kisses from me and panda |
| I'm so sorry to read about that, but I understand the mail carrier's concern. People are not responsible for their animals. Sheepies have been know to bite!
Ron is right, you have to "kiss [bottom]" and keep your dog away from the carrier if you expect to have home mail delivery. Years ago our Newfoundland loved to greet the mail carrier. His big old head filled the Jeep's window. She was a ranch lady and know Abbott was just a big, black slobberpuss. Only problem we had was when he got into the UPS truck and rearranged the boxes. |
SheepieBoss wrote: I'm so sorry to read about that, but I understand the mail carrier's concern. People are not responsible for their animals. Sheepies have been know to bite!
Ron is right, you have to "kiss [bottom]" and keep your dog away from the carrier if you expect to have home mail delivery. Years ago our Newfoundland loved to greet the mail carrier. His big old head filled the Jeep's window. She was a ranch lady and know Abbott was just a big, black slobberpuss. Only problem we had was when he got into the UPS truck and rearranged the boxes. Was Abbott wearing the brown shorts? |
Just an added note....we were put on the hostile list because the mail carrier kept walking on the grass and after 12 or so time Brian yelled at her to stop walking on the grass and use the bleepin' walk way....well, she turned around and said "Ive just added you to the hostile list ..I do not need to be spoken to like that...bla bla bla..." Brian said " If you used the flippin' sidewalk, I wouldnt yell at you...Ive asked you numerous time..." Her response was that it was too far to walk...(its an extra 2 feet) So now we get mail for every previous owner that lived in that house.....she showed Brian...lol...and she still walks on the grass  |
| Question 1: if his hair was sunburned, yes he did have brown shorts, LOL
Trespassing mail carrier: I know where I'd dump all my sheepdog's droppings................. sheepieboss |
| Seems to me like they are abusing their power. What a bunch of
%$#@*&^'s. |
 Where I live, there is no door to door delivery: we walk to "super-boxes"at the bottom of the lane. This is great because it diminishes the number of people coming to the door. I work at home and so don't want the added distractions! The main thing is that the doggie is OK. This post lady has generated a lot of bad Karma and the Universe will deal with her. Cheers,Lynda  |
| Just to show you how different mail carriers, like all folks can be, my own carrier Sandy leaves 4 biscuits in with the mail everyday. Ben, Ruby, Dudley and Fozzie can't wait for the mail to come. Sandy is one of their favorite people. God bless her for going to the trouble. |
Ben's Mom wrote: Just to show you how different mail carriers, like all folks can be, my own carrier Sandy leaves 4 biscuits in with the mail everyday. Ben, Ruby, Dudley and Fozzie can't wait for the mail to come. Sandy is one of their favorite people. God bless her for going to the trouble.
Amazing! Do the doggies actually share them? |
Ben's Mom wrote: Just to show you how different mail carriers, like all folks can be, my own carrier Sandy leaves 4 biscuits in with the mail everyday. Ben, Ruby, Dudley and Fozzie can't wait for the mail to come. Sandy is one of their favorite people. God bless her for going to the trouble.
Wow! How wonderful! Now that's the kind of mail carrier to give xmas gifts to!! |
| I actually bowl in a postal league. They were nice enough to let the EMS people with weird schedules join their league.
One day a person who was subbing on another team was telling a story of how he maced dogs through the mail slots in the doors because he didn't like to hear them bark. I didn't catch the whole story and the guy who runs the league did some sort of report about it but I don't know what happened beyond that. I do know he never bowled in the league again. And you are absolutely right, even one peep of anger or discontent and they'll put you on every bad person and junk mail list that there is in the world. After talking about black pajamas and now brown shorts I think everyone is going to have to put their dogs in costumes for Halloween! |
| Sorry that happened to your dog, but has she been your carrier long? Have you ever spoken with her about the dog(s)? Maybe she was being mean, maybe she's been bit before. I know I would've been upset in either position so I understand you're feelings.
We can all complain about things like this, but how many of us have had our own dog(s) growl or snap at us? Being a stranger to a dog makes it even more frightening. How fair is it of us to "expect" someone doing a service for us to put up with our pets? Delivering the mail is their job, but getting jumped on, possibly bitten, etc. is not. I just think, we also need to be considerate of them, not that anyone on here isn't! Just food for thought. |
| I guess I'm going to play devil's advocate here, and I'm not trying to sound as if I''m being judgmental or scolding. I, too, am sorry that your dog was maced but I'm also wondering what the situation was that put your dog and postal carrier together like that? Was he running loose or off leash and not under your control? Where were you when it happened? Don't get me wrong, I know accidents happen and sometimes they slip out the door and just go running before you can grab them but if this was a situation where the dog was just out free, not supervised in an area whwere others could potentially wander in, than I think as the owner, you really need to take responsibility for what happened.
Pam made a good point that, yes, maybe the postal person was just being a jerk, but maybe she has been bit before or was charged and really did feel threatened. Would I have maced an animal in that situation? I would hope not but if I'm unfamiliar with a large animal and fear for my safety, I think that I would be inclined to take some sort of action as well. I don't like to see animals getting hurt and I wish it hadn't happened but I think there are precautions that we can take as owners to ensure that these kind of things don't happen. |
| I am sorry that your dog was maced and I hope there are no ill effects. But, I have to agree with ButtersScotch. Pet owners are responsible for the actions of their animals. As friendly as most sheepdogs are, they are bulldozers that can't stop on a dime. Be glad your carrier wasn't knocked down and broke something. |
| I think mace is an extreme reaction to a dog running free. Perhaps it would be understandable if the dog were growling or showing its teeth. But short of that, I think people have to accept that we live in a world with all sorts of creatures, including dogs, and pre-emptive cruelty by anyone (dog or person) is not appropriate or acceptable. |
A. Yager wrote: I am sorry that your dog was maced and I hope there are no ill effects. But, I have to agree with ButtersScotch. Pet owners are responsible for the actions of their animals. As friendly as most sheepdogs are, they are bulldozers that can't stop on a dime. Be glad your carrier wasn't knocked down and broke something.
Exactly. Whether or not the macing was extreme or not, it was a situation that could've been prevented if the animal was under control. If this person didn't know the dog, she had no way of knowing what would happen. Also, when you have an animal charging you, you really don't have the time to think about the moral consequences of what you're doing-- you have to react fast to avoid getting hurt. I'm not saying that there aren't nasty people who would do it to be mean to animals, and I can't say for certainty that this particular postal carrier did not do it maliciously. Like someone else said, she was just trying to do her job and there's no reason why she should have to get hurt while trying to bring you your mail. Pet owners have to understand that people may feel threatened by our animals. We have to take the appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of our pets as well as those around them. Not to mention, from a homeowner's standpoint, these days you really have to be careful about people being hurt on your property. If this postal carrier had even just been knocked down and sued, imagine all the legal hassle that would ensue. It's just not that hard to avoid. As dog owners, we have to take responsibility for our choices and I really don't think it's fair to shift the blame to someone else and say that they need to accept that we live in a world with dogs. For the same token, we also have to accept that many people do not feel the same way that we do and be considerate of that. We also have to be considerate of the laws in place that encourage the use of leashes to avoid just these type of incidents. People have a right to be out in public without having to worry about getting hurt, particularly people who work in public areas where this could be a problem. I'm honestly not trying to ruffle a lot of feathers over this but, as someone who did restaurant delivery for years, I can understand the predicament well from the postal person's point-of-view. Have I ever maced an animal? No way. But I can honestly say there were several times where I may have considered it if I had mace on me..then again there were times I would've maced people too! Seriously though, there were a couple times that I was worried about getting out the car because a dog was running loose and I'd call the people and ask them to hold the dog. Most people were accomodating but others said that they didn't have to, to which I said, that I did not have to get out of the car. I love all animals, especially dogs but I had to think of my own safety first. I was providing a service to them so there was n reson that I should have to worry if the dog would bite. Even the nicest dogs can be clumsy and hurt you without meaning to-- just look at the scratches on my arms from Clyde when he gets too excited! I will step off my soap box now. |
| How awful. We can't have mail delivered at our house (rural town, live too close to the post office so they refuse to deliver here & we have to pay for a PO box...aggravates me so much!), but the ups man is scared of Jasper - lol. The old one loved him, but they just got a new guy on the route. He jumps back everytime Jasper comes to the door with me. All Jasper would do is lick him to death!!! |
JakobandBrandonsmom wrote: ......All Jasper would do is lick him to death!!!
Nothing personal here, just borrowing your quote. "All the dog would do is lick him to death." One thing I always stressed to the new owners of my puppies was to NEVER trust any dog 100%. Why? Because they are animals, with animal instincts. Instincts that may or may not surface. If it does, what will it take to cause it, what action will the dog take, and when? For some, its too late when they surface, the damage is done. Their dog "would never" do anything like that, it doesn't have a mean streak in it's body. They're no different than we are. What does it take for you to loose your temper and do or say something you regret immediately, but the damage is done? You can say you're sorry, but what's done, is done. The first time our own dog growls or snaps at us is usually unexpected. Does it not make sense then, that it's possible for us to be "just as surprised" if they do it to someone else? We usually don't know these people well enough to know all their aches and pains. Maybe someone that has never carried mace before would do so after returning to work after a major back surgery, etc.. to prevent or protect themselves from more injury...etc...etc...etc... It is our responsibility to put our pets up in these situations. I had 7 adults and puppies. There's no way I'd have come in my yard to delivery anything with those dogs running free. That's where animal (human) instinct comes in, its called "self preservation".  |
| Well I am so sorry about the your sheepie getting sprayed. I do have to say something about what may have caused her to freak out. I am a meter reader for an electric company. We come across lots of dogs every day most are good but some dogs are on a mission to bite you. She may have been biten before I was. When a dog runs up to you like that you have to make a split second decision sometimes you make the wrong one but getting bitten is very scary, The owner of the dog that bit me couldn't control him while on a walk and he broke away and out of know where attacked my arm. Im scared and it took awhile to stop freaking out inside when you hear a dog. No I have never sprayed a dog but I can see how it can happen. It is always much better to get doggie kisses then the other alternative. |
| One more thing I learned is that dogs seem to get more agressive around their owners. That is cause they are pack animals and the owner is a part of the pack hopefully the alfa dog. I think my dog would lick anyone and never bite but he may be having a bad day. |
| Our mail man is terrorfied of dogs. Luckily he's been around frank since he was little so we get out mail when Frank's outside but he won't deliver my neighbor's mail when her boxer is outside. Plus he maced a dog 2 doors down. So please don't think that they were just being evil, they may be very afraid of dogs. |
| I am soo sorry about your sheepdog, as I know that pets are like your children. I am now going to address several things about this situation. I own 2 dogs, and 1 is a Jack Russell and the other one is a Shih Tzu. They are both very loving, and they will both lick you to death and before hurting anyone. However, the Jack Russell will protect me and if he ever feels that I am in harms way. He is very loyal, and its his personality and because of this, he is always leashed when outside and remains in our yard period and he is never outside in the yard without me period. He is my dog and I am the owner and it's my responsibility. However, I also travel a lot and my job is to make house calls on clients and many are seniors, and many of these seniors have pets. These pets include a lot of dogs, and I am not just walking up to the door and leaving mail, as I am also entering the homes and visiting and walking through yards and around yards to get to the front or back doors. I guarantee that I am at more risk for dog bites and more than any mail carrier is and on any given day, and this has been my career for 8 years now and NOT 1 DOG BITE PERIOD !!! I can only state its because I also take the responsibility to keep myself protected when visiting and entering homes, and I do it WITHOUT carrying mace, nor any weapon of any kind. I do NOT believe in weapons or violence, and I honestly believe that animals do not believe in violence either. I firmly believe that animals are reading your human body language and sensing things (sounds, smells, etc.) and before you even know that they are there. They sense the tone of your voice, and your reactions and movements and YES, they can sense if you even like animals or if you are disgusted by them. That being said......if you are a mail carrier and you are not familiar with dogs, its your own personal responsibility and/or the post office to get you better familiar with pets and how to function around them; because its part of your day and its pure non sense to stand back and act like you are entitled to act like both the police and a drama queen and ALL in 1 day. You owe it to yourself and to the families on your route to do it.....as pets are like their children, and I am sure that you take training for other potentially harmful situations and this is not any different ! Maybe they could volunteer at a humane society and/or take a class on how to keep yourself safe and to use common sense around dogs and all pets. I have entered thousands of homes over the last 8 years and been around hostile dogs, and I am also entering their yards and homes and with everything from a German Shephard, Pitt Bull, Doberman Pincher, Chows, and Rottweiler's in these yards.......and NOT 1 BITE and not even an attempted bite, nor even an attempted snip people ! I am required to visit seniors in ALL types of neighborhoods and income levels also......and NOT 1 BITE !!! Dogs do not discriminate, but they do however read your body language and mood and therefore you owe it to both yourself and your customers on your route to protect both yourself and their pets (as they are family too). I can be harsh like this, because I have far more risks daily and far more than any 1 mail carrier will ever have and I think its a total cop out and just a poor excuse to exercise a possible lame need for power....and they know you cant go get another mail carrier. I totally blame the carriers who over react and feel the need to act like both the POLICE and the DRAMA QUEEN and will do so and at your expense and your pets expense. However, 1 day soon the post office and mail carrier service will be no longer be needed and will disappear as technology and information is communicated more and more via the web. FYI.....the post office is an organization that will retaliate and act vicious and will mess unethically with your mail, fill your mailbox with random people's mail and place you on a hostile list AND state that they can no longer deliver to you either because you are hostile or because your mailbox is always full, and after placing your address on tons of solicitation mail lists themselves. Yes, they do this as my best friend is an attorney and has had many legal dealings against some of the unethical behavior that they seem to feel that they are entitled to exhibit towards and/or against folks on their mail route. HIS BEST ADVICE IN DEALING WITH THIS AND THE BEST SOLUTION......Obtain a private POBox close to your home and have all your mail forwarded to your POBox, and report the mail carrier if they ever trespass on your property again.....and should any mail carrier spray your pet with mace, or injure your pets and without just cause or prior attempted and confirmed violence. Why do you think that the term "going postal" was invented ? I am aware that they are great mail carriers out there and I thank you for your service However, there are also several mail carriers who give them a bad name, and because they continue to exhibit a selfish need for power and abuse their power, and that type of behavior (and in any profession) is appalling. Hopefully these mail carriers won't be out of a job and looking for work down the road in any area of my profession anytime soon and as the postal service business continues on the decline.......as they would not be a top choice as my ORGANIZATION is PRO DOGS & PETS AND FIRMLY AGAINST BAD ATTITUDES WHO ARE ON A NON-PRODUCTIVE POWERTRIP ! |
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