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Updated: Monday, 18 May 2009, 9:50 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 18 May 2009, 9:01 PM EDT
MYFOXNY.COM - You've probably heard stories about dogs attacking the letter carrier. The U.S. Postal Service says it happens about 3,000 times a year. But this is a new one. A man says a postal worker attacked his dog, and left his pet in agony.
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A 6-year-old beagle-lab mix named Jolie Sophia was sprayed with a dog repellent one afternoon last month.
Kentrick Ali, the dog's owner says, "When I touched her there was a burning sensation on my hand and her face eyes and forehead was wet."
Ali says it was at about dinner time and Jolie was playing outside and while a mail carrier was delivering mail to the box hanging on the inside of his chain link fence, she decided to spray the dog.
Ali says Jolie was left in agony, "She was struggling, she was collapsing coming up the sidewalk to get back inside. My daughter ran out and picked her up and brought her in."
According to postal policy, mail carriers are allowed to spray a dog with pepper spray like repellent if they feel threatened. But Jolie's owner says the dog was no threat from behind a chain link fence.
"She doesn't have it in her to be an aggressive dog," said Ali.
But, in a statement, the postal service disagreed, saying, "The dog charged at the letter carrier and she sprayed the dog."
That letter carrier was reportedly attacked by a dog in the past.
No one witnessed Jolie being sprayed so we don't know for sure what happened that day but when a Fox 5 reporter first approached Jolie she was timid and quiet and her owner says a bad leg prevents her from running a jumping too much, especially from behind a chain link fence.
Ali says, "One of her legs, actually, was displaced at an early age and never went back properly."
He says he thinks letter carriers should carry pepper spray. He's just wants them to know when to use it and when not to use it, "One should be able to recognize an aggressive dog as opposed to a friendly dog."
Jolie's owner isn't happy with the answers he got from the postal inspector who investigated the incident and Ali says he is now considering legal action against the postal service.
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For information on preventing and treating dog bites check out these sites:
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