Question; hypothetical situation

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
Driver on country route delivers package to female customer and daughter. While delivering pkg, customers dog runs out into road and is hit by passing car, which speeds off. Dog is still alive but in horrible pain and injuries are obviously fatal. Nearest vet is 45 minutes away and to load dog into vehicle would make pain worse. Customer and daughter are borderline hysterical. Customer knows that dog must be euthanized but is emotionally unable to do it herself; customer gets her husbands rifle and asks driver to shoot dog for her. Driver does so out of compassion for customer and to end the suffering of the dog. Has this driver committed a terminable offense for violating UPS's no-weapons policy while on the job?
 

1989

Well-Known Member
Yes, what if the customer has second thoughts about it the next day. She calls in the next day saying you shot her dog. what if the dog could have been saved. You arn't a vet. Never shoot a customers dog.
 
L

Load Stand

Guest
Common sense would prevail I would say and no discipline should be given...do we discipline drivers when they save people from burning houses? It's not like you ran in the house and got the gun either....
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
Yes, what if the customer has second thoughts about it the next day. She calls in the next day saying you shot her dog. what if the dog could have been saved. You arn't a vet. Never shoot a customers dog.
1. I never said the scenario happened to me.
2. It doesnt always take a vet to know when a dogs injuries are terminal. Not meaning to be gross, but when the internal organs are coming out of the rectum and when the spine is broken and protruding thru the back, euthanasia is the only option.
 

looper804

Is it time to go home yet
1. I never said the scenario happened to me.
2. It doesnt always take a vet to know when a dogs injuries are terminal. Not meaning to be gross, but when the internal organs are coming out of the rectum and when the spine is broken and protruding thru the back, euthanasia is the only option.
I say no,too many things can go wrong like the bullet richocheting and hitting the mother or daughter or your self.It may not take a vet to see that the dog isn't going to make it but leave those decisions to the professionals.You could call 911 and let them shoot it.
 

Harley Rider

34 yrs & done!
I say no,too many things can go wrong like the bullet richocheting and hitting the mother or daughter or your self.It may not take a vet to see that the dog isn't going to make it but leave those decisions to the professionals.You could call 911 and let them shoot it.

You know............ I look at it this way. You can say "what if " all day about any situation that comes up. If I am there and this particular situation came up, I would take the gun or a rock or whatever else I could find and put the dog out of its misery. I guess its the animal lover in me but I can't stand to see any animal suffer.
 

mattwtrs

Retired Senior Member
Extremely tough call but I had almost the same thing happen back in the late 70's. The bad dog that always chased any car down the road was hit by another car as it was chasing my P600. It wasn't dead yet and the guy that hit it lived a few miles away, he said what should I do? I told him how it was a vehicle chaser and he said the same thing. We were out of sight of any houses (rural area) so I told him to forget anything happened and I'd take care of it. The rear tires of the P600 put the dog out of its misery, I loaded it up at dumped it at a strip job later in the day. No lethal weapons involved.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
Shoot the dog? No. But I would've used the rifle butt so send the dog "express" to doggy heaven.
A strict interpretation of UPS's policy on weapons would result in the driver being terminated whether he fires the gun or not. He "posessed" it. I am curious as to whether or not the emergency nature of the situation would create an exception to the policy.
 

HazMatMan

Well-Known Member
Driver on country route delivers package to female customer and daughter. While delivering pkg, customers dog runs out into road and is hit by passing car, which speeds off. Dog is still alive but in horrible pain and injuries are obviously fatal. Nearest vet is 45 minutes away and to load dog into vehicle would make pain worse. Customer and daughter are borderline hysterical. Customer knows that dog must be euthanized but is emotionally unable to do it herself; customer gets her husbands rifle and asks driver to shoot dog for her. Driver does so out of compassion for customer and to end the suffering of the dog. Has this driver committed a terminable offense for violating UPS's no-weapons policy while on the job?

I don't think the driver would be fired because I think UPS's rule about weapons means "YOUR" weapon,(bringing it from home) and considering the circumstances about a wounded dog. Ok, new scenario, I get mugged going back to my package car by someone with a gun, there is a struggle, I get the gun and shoot the robber dead. Do I get terminated for posession?? Also, I may tell the lady that I may get into serious trouble if I shoot the dog and try to quickly get someone else to do it..
 
Although I would feel really bad both for the suffering animal and the owner, I would go no where near that weapon. I imagine just the incident of even holding the weapon and firing it would be grounds enough to be terminated, not to mention if something else was to go wrong as others have giving examples of.
Even if it was the right thing to do on many levels, we have to remember this is a business, and businesses don't like liabilities. I doubt the company would be sympathetic to the situation, and me risking a good job that allows me to support my family is not worth me losing for some strangers dog that can't stay in the yard.
 

Upslady20

Well-Known Member
I would call the center manager and get permission to shoot the dog on my cell phone so I could prove I made the call.. document it on the diad to cover myself..
I had a guy jump into my package car while I was in the back and refuse to get out.. also a rural area.. someone had come to shoot him... very redneck area.. I shut the door called the center got permission to take up to the remote sheriffs office. He was very thankful. And the guy with the gun walked right by the package car not realizing the was in the back. He was later arrested.
 

959Nanook

Well-Known Member
I don't think the driver would be fired because I think UPS's rule about weapons means "YOUR" weapon,(bringing it from home) and considering the circumstances about a wounded dog. Ok, new scenario, I get mugged going back to my package car by someone with a gun, there is a struggle, I get the gun and shoot the robber dead. Do I get terminated for posession?? Also, I may tell the lady that I may get into serious trouble if I shoot the dog and try to quickly get someone else to do it..

Don't know if you get fired but you can expect a civil lawsuit from the robber's family after the authorities are done with you depending upon what state you live in.
 
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