Yahoo News Amazon pays £16,000 vet’s bill after delivery driver ran over family’s dog
Amazon has paid a vet’s bill of more than £16,000 after a delivery driver ran over a family’s dog.
Martin Snell, 46, said his pet puppy, dachshund Dukey, was hit by a driver from an independent delivery company while dropping off an Amazon package.
The dog ran under the van and was left with horrific injuries after it was crushed as the vehicle drove off.
Mr Snell, who lives in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, with his partner, Tracy Riches, said Dukey was nearly killed in the incident. Last year, a man was reunited with his dog after it was stolen by an Amazon delivery driver.
Mr Snell said his daughter Hollie, 11, had witnessed their dog being run over. He said: "It's been traumatic and distressing for all our family.
"Our daughter who watched the incident in its full horror still has bad dreams about the event and our other children have also been left affected by the incident.
"We not only had the worry of if Dukey would make it but the rising costs of the vet’s bills and not knowing how we would pay."
He described the incident that took place last month.
"My family and I were sitting in the garden with our two dogs. A white van arrived and parked at the end of the driveway, a driver got out of the vehicle and proceeded to enter our garden.
"I went to meet the driver to receive the package, the driver then proceeded to leave our property followed by our dachshund Dukey.
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"The dog was excitedly running around the driver as my partner was trying to get hold of him, he ran under the stationary van.
"I said, ‘Hang on mate, while I get the dog’. The driver got in his vehicle and proceeded to do something on his tablet.
"We then watched in horror as the back wheel of the vehicle went over the dog.
"We were all screaming. We fetched blankets and took the dog to the car to get him to the vet’s.”
Duke spent three weeks at the vet and had three rounds of surgery, and was left suffering from pancreatitis and pneumonia.
He suffered a rupture to his abdominal wall as well as a torn diaphragm.
Amazon paid £16,127.51 to cover his medical bills without admitting liability.
An Amazon spokesman said: "Our sympathy is with the family and we wish Dukey a speedy recovery.
"As soon as we were informed of the incident, we investigated with the independent delivery company and reached out to the customer to offer our support.”
