A North Carolina family's dog was seriously injured last month after an Amazon delivery driver allegedly ran over her.
Valerie Chavis said her dog, named Sadie, was hit after the driver ignored her delivery instructions and drove up on to her driveway on her 14-acre property in Benson, about 35 miles south of Raleigh.
This occurred after her package was delivered to the designated drop-off location at 4:56pm.
Chavis also noted that she has a 'No Trespassing' sign that the driver either failed to see or disregarded.
'I heard the driveway sensors and went outside,' Chavis told WRAL News. 'That's when I found Sadie.'
By 4:59pm, three minutes after the package was delivered, Chavis was on the phone with her local veterinarian. Even before Sadie was examined, Chavis noticed that one of the dog's eyes was bulging out.
The veterinarian diagnosed brain swelling, a fractured neck and other injuries consistent with being hit by a car.
Amazon did not dispute what happened, but initially did not agree to cover the family's vet bills.
Sadie, Valerie Chavis's beloved dog, was allegedly hit by a delivery driver affiliated with Amazon, leaving her with serious injuries
Chavis is pictured with Sadie at the local veterinarian. The dog was diagnosed with brain swelling, a fractured neck and other injuries
Sadie's X-ray showed she had fractures in her C1 and C2 vertebrae
In the meantime, a local nonprofit called Project Jade set up a GoFundMe to raise money for Sadie's treatment.
Project Jade was founded by Corrine Coats, who lost her dog named Jade in a similar situation several years ago.
'I was young. I didn't have the money to pay for her care, so I had to put her down,' Coats told WRAL. 'No dog owner should ever have to make that decision.'
With the help of Project Jade, the GoFundMe has brought in nearly $5,000 as of Thursday morning.
Still, Chavis was frustrated with Amazon's response. She said that every time she called the company, she was connected with a different representative whom she would have to explain the story to from the beginning.
'It is very upsetting,' Chavis said. 'You think about how much money they make, and it would be nothing for them to say, 'We'll pay. We know it's our fault.'
On one of those phone calls, Chavis said the company offered to pay for a headstone for Sadie, mistakenly thinking the dog was dead.
After getting no answers from Amazon on whether it would shoulder any of the burden, Chavis also reached out to the WRAL station.
Once involved, the local news outlet hounded Amazon for about a week, sending more than a dozen emails about Chavis's situation.
Chavis was frustrated with Amazon's response after the company did not initially agree to pay for the mounting vet bills for Sadie
After sustained pressure from the WRAL TV station, Amazon came out and said the driver was no longer making deliveries for the company and that it would cover Chavis's vet bills
The sustained pressure got Amazon to acknowledge that it had investigated the incident, which led to the discovery that the driver that allegedly hit Sadie was employed with a third-party company that contracts with Amazon.
The driver is no longer affiliated with Amazon, the company told WRAL.
Amazon also said it would reimburse Chavis for her vet bills. As Sadie is still being treated, a final bill has not been processed. Thankfully, Sadie is expected to make a full recovery, according to the vet.
The Daily Mail has approached Amazon for further comment.