A Texas woman’s tearful plea for help after an Amazon driver took her 13-year-old Yorkshire Terrier named Chance has sparked a fierce online debate. While the distraught owner accused the driver of theft, many social media users defended the driver’s actions, arguing she was trying to protect the small dog from an approaching winter storm. The controversy intensified when the woman mentioned the driver’s ethnicity in her description, leading to accusations of racism that she vehemently denied.
What happened to Chance the Yorkie?
According to the Texas woman, her 13-year-old Yorkie, Chance, was outside for a quick bathroom break when an Amazon driver delivering a package to her neighbor spotted the dog. The woman claimed the driver took Chance without knocking on any doors or attempting to locate the owner. She immediately reported the incident to Amazon and contacted the Williamson County Police Department.
In her emotional video, the woman explained that Chance is considered a service animal for her husband, who is a 100% disabled veteran. The thought of losing their beloved companion added extra weight to an already devastating situation.
The dog returns after four hours
About four hours after the incident, the Amazon driver returned Chance. However, according to the woman, the driver only did so after Amazon informed her that police were looking for her. She also noted that a family member turned the dog in on the driver’s behalf rather than the driver returning it herself, which she found troubling.
The defense: Protecting a dog from winter weather
Despite the woman’s claims of theft, hundreds of commenters sided with the Amazon driver. Many argued that the driver likely believed the small dog was a stray or abandoned, especially with a severe winter storm approaching. Texas was experiencing unusually cold temperatures, and concern for animals left outside in freezing conditions was widespread.
One commenter wrote, “13 year old dog outside no one near right before a WINTER storm! She was helping the dog.” Another defended the driver’s actions: “I’m Hispanic and I would have picked him up too if he was outside in this cold alone…. Doesn’t make me or her a bad person. I work and have a lot going on as well but I will never leave my small dog out in the cold alone.”
Others questioned why the dog was outside unsupervised in such cold weather, suggesting the driver acted out of genuine concern for the animal’s welfare.
The ethnicity controversy explodes
The situation took a contentious turn when critics accused the woman of racism for mentioning the driver’s Hispanic ethnicity in her original video. Many commenters questioned why the driver’s race was relevant to the story, with some suggesting it revealed underlying bias.
The woman responded with another video, calling the backlash “ridiculous” and explaining her family connections to the Hispanic community. She clarified that her ex-husband is Hispanic, her two oldest children are Hispanic, and her stepfather is Hispanic as well. She insisted she only mentioned ethnicity because she was describing what the driver looked like, not to single her out based on race.
“If someone has to focus on you describing the person as Hispanic because that’s what they are, instead of the fact he was taken, then there is something wrong with the person making the comment. Sounds like they are the racist one if that’s all they heard,” one supporter wrote.
The owner’s response to critics
In follow-up videos, the woman addressed those who argued the driver was rescuing rather than stealing her dog. She explained that Chance has a routine: he walks through the front gate into the yard to use the bathroom, which is why there was no reason for anyone to assume he was abandoned or in danger.
She emphasized that the driver was delivering a package across the street, not at her home, making it even less likely that the dog appeared to be lost or neglected. Most importantly, she argued that if the driver truly wanted to help the dog, she should have knocked on nearby doors to ask whether the dog belonged to someone before taking him.
“The driver never knocked on any doors to ask whether the dog belonged to someone, which would have been the appropriate step to take,” the woman stated.
The broader pattern of delivery driver pet incidents
This incident is not isolated. Several cases in Texas and beyond have involved delivery drivers and pets:
Woodsboro, Texas (December 2025): A family’s Chihuahua puppy named Bonnie was allegedly taken by an Amazon delivery driver on December 17. Surveillance footage showed the driver petting two puppies, taking a package photo, then placing one puppy in his vehicle. The Eby family remained without their puppy for weeks, with investigations ongoing.
Henry County, Georgia (2024): An Amazon driver was fired after attempting to drive away with a customer’s puppy. The driver told the owner “the dog was pretty and that he would love to have a puppy.”
These incidents raise questions about delivery drivers’ interactions with pets and the proper protocols when encountering animals during deliveries.
The divide: Theft versus rescue
The comment section revealed sharp disagreement:
Those who supported the owner:
- “What on earth is wrong with people these days?? So many Amazon drivers are stealing animals.”
- “Leave peoples animals alone.”
- “If someone took my dog, I’d be calling police immediately. That’s theft.”
Those who defended the driver:
- “He was probably outside and she took him thinking he was left outside! I don’t believe this at all!”
- “Right before a storm! She was saving him from freezing!”
- “Small dogs can’t survive in extreme cold. She probably thought she was rescuing him.”
What should have been done differently?
Most reasonable observers agreed on one point: the driver should have attempted to locate the dog’s owner before taking the animal. Proper steps would include:
- Knocking on nearby doors to ask about the dog
- Checking for a collar with contact information
- Calling local animal control if genuinely concerned
- Leaving a note explaining the situation if taking the dog for safety reasons
Taking someone’s pet without any attempt to contact the owner, regardless of weather concerns, creates a situation that understandably appears like theft to the pet owner.
The takeaway
This incident highlights the complex emotions and judgments surrounding pet ownership, weather safety, and racial descriptions. While the Amazon driver may have had good intentions about protecting a small dog from severe cold, taking someone’s pet without attempting to find the owner crosses a line that many consider theft. The ethnicity controversy added another layer of division, though the woman’s family connections suggest her description wasn’t motivated by prejudice.
Chance returned home safely, but the incident serves as a reminder: if you encounter what appears to be a lost or endangered pet, always try to locate the owner first. And for pet owners: supervise outdoor time carefully, especially during extreme weather, to avoid misunderstandings that could lead to losing your beloved companion.
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