‘He was ambushed’: Owner demands action after dog pepper-sprayed by mail carrier

GONVICK, Minn. (KVLY/Gray News) - A Minnesota man is demanding action to be taken after he said his dog was pepper-sprayed by a mail carrier.

Chad Sather said his dog, Winston, is recovering after an everyday encounter with their mail man.

Sather said the family dog is protected by an electric fence and had barked when a mail truck approached the home.

“He always runs out when somebody comes into the yard,” Sather said. “He let out a few barks like he’s done 100 times before with this gentleman. I mean, he’s a dog, you know? He didn’t attack him or anything.”

After he heard a few concerning barks, Sather said he ran to the scene.

“All of a sudden, he came running at me, shaking his head and couldn’t even open his eyes. He was ambushed,” Sather said.

He said he saw the mail carrier spray Winston in the eyes from inside the mail truck.

“He had an electric window, but he didn’t even get out of the truck. Apparently, you can just violate somebody’s animal from the inside of your pickup,” Sather said.

After he followed the truck back to the post office, Sather said he demanded what substance was used on the dog.

The post office said it provided the mail carrier with a bottle of canine repellant, a form of pepper spray all postal employees have. It was also itted that Winston was used on Winston.

Sather said he attended to Winston before he filed a police report.

According to the report, the mail carrier is no longer allowed to deliver to the resident, but does not face any criminal charges.

However, Sather said it is not enough.

“If we assault anybody, we go to jail,” he said. “You can’t just go into someone else’s yard and assault an animal or a person. We need ability... what if he does this again? What if he does this to a child?”

This incident comes during the United States Postal Service’s National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign, a month-long project aimed to protect delivery drivers with dog encounters.

In Sather’s case, he said Winston is a victim and is now demanding ability.

“He won’t even apologize,” Sather said. “He won’t even face-to-face apologize to me. Everyone else at the post office has.”

Sather is continuing to work with local law enforcement and the post office for any further action against the mail carrier.

Winston has since recovered, but the long-term effects on his eyes are unknown.

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