'Put the dog back': Georgia family accuses Amazon driver of trying to steal puppy from yard
A woman in Georgia says an Amazon driver tried to steal her family's puppy from their front yard and now police are investigating the case.
Terrika Currence reported an attempted theft after a driver delivered items to her home in the Atlanta suburb of Ellenwood, and her daughter told her that someone was "stealing their dog" − a red nose pitbull, according to a Henry County Police Department incident report obtained by USA TODAY on Tuesday.
“As I open the door to put the package in the house, and the dog food, my daughter screams and says, 'The Amazon guy stole our puppy!'" she told WSB-TV.
An Amazon spokesperson told USA TODAY that the driver no longer works for the company and that they had reached out to law enforcement handling the case.
Police did not say whether the driver had been arrested or if charges were pending.
Watch:LA woman jumps onto hood of car to stop dognapping as thieves steal her bulldog
Woman shares video of the encounter
Video that Currence provided to WSB-TV shows her opening the back door of a tan Amazon van and confronting the driver.
In the footage she yells at the driver, saying Amazon took the dog from her yard. She claims the puppy was placed on the truck.
“As soon as I opened the truck, he has the puppy inside of a bin. I had to grab the puppy and get him off the truck,” Currence told the outlet.
Currence then tells the driver to "put the dog back."
At one point in the video, the a brown dog is seen walking toward Currence as she continues to film the incident and pulls the dog out of the van.
Amazon says driver is no longer with the company
Amazon spokesperson Austin Stowe told USA TODAY the driver is no longer with the company but did not say whether the driver quit or had been fired.
"We've apologized to the customer and glad their dog was returned unharmed," Stowe said. "The driver involved is no longer delivering for Amazon and we've reached out to law enforcement to assist as they investigate."
Drivers who deliver packages for Amazon are not employed directly by Amazon, according to the company's website and work for Delivery Service Partners (DSPs).
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.