The mail carrier involved in an altercation with the all-white Pasadena peacock nicknamed “Sugar” by residents has been charged with animal cruelty.
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The mail carrier was distributing mail along Mohawk Street in Pasadena on Aug. 18 when he appeared to strike Sugar repeatedly, causing the peacock to collapse to the ground, according to a video of the encounter. Since then, Pasadena Humane’s animal control unit had been conducting an investigation into the incident.
The District Attorney filed a complaint on Oct. 8, alleging that the mail carrier “unlawfully, maliciously and intentionally” wounded a living animal and charging him with misdemeanor animal cruelty.
But Gwendolyn Thomas, whose family first discovered Sugar lying incapacitated in the street following the altercation, said her family was “a bit sad and disappointed” to see that charges had been filed.
“Honestly, I’m feeling a little sad for the postman,” said Gina Davis, Thomas’s mother. “It wasn’t my intention to get him fired or charged with animal cruelty, but I understand why this is the outcome. I was hoping just to have his route changed so he would no longer have to deal with the peacocks in the neighborhood, and I just hope he can keep his job somewhere.”
Sugar was relocated to a private ranch in Northern California on Sept. 29 after Pasadena Humane, the organization that had been caring for Sugar following the incident, determined the fully recovered bird should not return to its old neighborhood “given the significant public attention surrounding his case.”
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Thomas and Davis both said the relocation was “bittersweet” but that they hope the new locale will keep Sugar safe moving forward.
“We would love to have him back in the neighborhood,” Davis said. “But it makes sense that he’s sent to a place where he can be safe and taken care of. We don’t have to worry about him being injured by humans, coyotes or cars.”
In the wake of the altercation and a charge being filed, Davis said they hope to see some positive steps taken to ensure an encounter like Sugar’s does not happen again.
“My hope is that the mail carriers hopefully have a little better training about how to deal with animals in their neighborhood, whether they be wildlife or domesticated,” Davis said. “The solution is not to injure them unless you’re being attacked at that moment. There has to be a better way to deal with it.”
The mail carrier will be arraigned on Nov. 6, according to Los Angeles County court filings.
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“I wish the best for the mailman with this unfortunate situation,” Davis said.