After an Amazon delivery, a NC dog was left fighting for her life

A driver is no longer delivering packages for Amazon after allegedly hitting a dog during a routine delivery in Benson.

The family tells WRAL 5 On Your Side that the driver ignored posted delivery instructions and a “No Trespassing” sign before driving farther up the driveway, onto the property, where they believe their dog, Sadie, was struck and left critically injured.

“I heard the driveway sensors and went outside,” owner Valerie Chavis said. “That’s when I found Sadie.”

Moments earlier, an Amazon package had been delivered to a designated drop-off location on the family’s 14-acre property. Chavis says the driver should never have gone beyond that point.

“The package was delivered at 4:56 p.m.,” she said. “I was on the phone with the vet at 4:59 p.m.”

Sadie suffered a fractured neck, head trauma and other serious injuries. Veterinarians later told the family the wounds were consistent with being hit by a vehicle.

While Amazon did not dispute the incident, the family spent weeks searching for answers about whether the company would cover thousands of dollars in veterinary bills. As costs mounted, a local nonprofit, Project Jade, stepped in to help pay for Sadie’s emergency treatment.

“I said, ‘This is something we can do,’” said Corrine Coats, who founded the nonprofit after losing her own dog, Jade, in a similar tragedy years ago.

“I was young. I didn’t have the money to pay for her care, so I had to put her down,” Coats said. “No dog owner should ever have to make that decision.”

Project Jade raised thousands of dollars to help cover Sadie’s upfront medical costs. But the family says getting clear answers from Amazon proved far more difficult.

“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.’”

In North Carolina, pets are legally considered property, meaning incidents involving injured animals are typically handled as property damage claims.

Chavis said each time she contacted Amazon, she was connected with a different representative and forced to retell the story from the beginning. At one point, she said, the company mistakenly offered to pay for a memorial stone for Sadie, believing the dog had died.

Frustrated and still waiting for answers, the family turned to 5 On Your Side.

After about a week and more than a dozen emails, an Amazon spokesperson told 5 On Your Side the company had investigated the incident and spoken with the third-party delivery company that employed the driver. Amazon confirmed the driver is no longer making deliveries on the company’s behalf.

The company also indicated it would reimburse Sadie’s veterinary expenses, though the claim is still being processed. 5 On Your Side continues to follow the case to ensure the family receives payment.

Sadie, meanwhile, is expected to make a full recovery.

While the family says their delivery instructions were ignored, it is still a good idea to leave detailed instructions in delivery apps, including where drivers can and cannot go on a property, which can provide an added layer of protection for pets and homeowners, and may help support claims if something goes wrong.

To add delivery instructions in the Amazon Shopping app:

Open the Amazon app and tap the person icon at the bottom of the screen
Select Your Account.
Scroll to Addresses and choose the delivery address you want to update.
Tap Edit or Add delivery instructions.
Under the delivery notes section, add specific directions for drivers, such as:
1. “Do not drive past gate.”
2. “Leave packages at barn entrance.”
3. “Dogs on property, please stay in turnaround area only.”

Customers can also use the “Where should we leave your packages?” feature to choose preferred drop-off locations, such as a front porch, side door or another designated area on the property.