“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” – Mail Carrier Motto
Someone needs to add ‘nor badly-injured pets’ to the mail courier motto. For one Georgia mail carrier, what was a normal work day changed in an instant when she stopped at a familiar house on her route. Holle Prigmore was about to deliver the mail, when she saw the family’s beagle dog, Ginger.
The friendly pup was one Holle typically gave treats to while she was there. But this time, she noticed the dog sniffing the grass and then getting startled by something. She rushed over to check and noticed a venomous copperhead snake just as it bit Ginger on the back.
Holle rushed to the dog’s home, and tried to get an answer at the front door, but no one was home. So she ran to the backyard, where she located a doorbell camera. She tried to get a response through that, but no one answered.
Holle quickly wrote on her phone: “Little beagle bit by copperhead”.
She then picked up the injured dog and rushed it to a local vet. “Within 30 seconds of arriving probably, (the vet) had her in a room,” Holle said about the veterinarian who treated the pet and located her owner, Kelsey Proctor.
Kelsey is a fourth-grade teacher who was at work at the time. She shared the video and story of what happened to Ginger on Facebook, in the hopes of finding out the name of the postal worker who had saved her dog. “I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart,” Kelsey wrote on the post.
“This sweet woman took our girl to the vet and left us a note on her phone in our camera to see,” Kelsey said. “Thankfully, Ginger is going to be okay, and I truly believe it’s because of this woman.” The video quickly went viral. But for Holle, it isn’t about getting rewarded, but about doing the right thing.
I’m not interested in compensation. Anybody in my industry would have done the same thing,” she said.
Holle has three pets of her own and hopes someone would do the same for her if the roles were switched. She and Kelsey were able to meet recently. “Before I even got to say anything to her, Ginger immediately jumped up on her and jumped in her car and was letting Holle love all over her,” Kelsey said.
Holle Prigmore is greeted by Ginger. Photo courtesy Fox 5 video
The USPS also made sure to acknowledge the heroic actions of Holle. “The Postal Service is part of the fabric of the nation with employees making a difference in every community across the country. We are very proud of Holle Prigmore and her quick action which saved the life of a customer’s beloved pet,” a USPS spokeswoman said in a statement.
Holle said that the animals she sees are the highlights of her day while delivering mail. “I have a motto that not every dog likes me right now, but when I’m finished with them, they will…unless you have customers who happen to be home during the day, that’s really your interaction … ‘Hey bud, how ya doin’? Have a treat!’” she said. Watch below as Holle and Kelsey finally get to meet!