61-Year-Old Postal Worker Hospitalized After Being Attacked by Pack of Dogs in Florida

In Florida, a 61-year-old postal worker was allegedly attacked by a pack of dogs on Sunday, leaving her hospitalized and in critical condition.

When the victim's mail delivery vehicle broke down in Interlachen Lake Estates, a pack of five dogs attacked her there, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. Interlachen is east of Gainesville.

According to deputies, they discovered the driver bleeding on the ground following the alleged attack, and the dogs had been hidden inside a nearby fence.

After hearing the driver's screams and seeing her down on the ground being attacked, neighbors rushed to her aid. To scare the dogs away, they took them off the woman and fired a rifle at the ground.

Over 5,400 postal delivery drivers were attacked by dogs while out on their routes in 2021, with 201 of those incidents taking place in Florida, according to the USPS.

Whenever a letter carrier delivers to a home, owners are advised to keep their dogs inside, away from the door, behind a fence, in another room, or on a leash.

Although it is unclear which service the elderly woman was delivering for, USPS drivers typically have tools on their portable scanners that alert them to potential dog hazards while making deliveries.

Animal Control

As soon as they arrived, deputies started providing emergency medical care, including applying splints while they waited for rescue teams to arrive. Before being transported by air to the Gainesville trauma center, where she is reportedly still being treated, the mail carrier was taken to a nearby hospital.

Animal Control seized the dogs while deputies conducted their investigation. The five dogs implicated are bulldog mixes, according to the neighbors, and they are frequently seen together and without collars or identification tags.

One neighbor claimed that the dogs had been an annoyance for a very long time. When they are shooed out of people's homes, they bark and growl.

The injured mail lady, according to the locals, has always been a kind person. Along with a few notes here and there, she left the horse some apples in the mailbox. When she delivered packages, she would inquire about the kids.

Responsible Dog Ownership

The significance of making sure their dogs maintain a safe atmosphere for everyone nearby was stressed by local authorities to dog owners in their area.

Sheriff H.D. DeLoach stated that as the victim and her family deal with this tragic event, their thoughts are with them. For the safety of their pets and those nearby, dog owners must take responsibility for keeping their pets in a secure location, Newsweek reports.

Owners of friendly dogs frequently anticipate the same behavior from other dogs. However, depending on the situation, even amiable dogs can bite. Dogs are mainly territorial animals that guard their owners and possessions. There is a huge possibility that the letter carrier may be attacked and potentially bit to defend its territory. For this reason, dog owners ought to be in charge of dog control. The best way to prevent dog bites is to encourage responsible pet ownership and recognize it.

Most people are aware of the general arrival time of their daily letter carrier. Dog-carrier interactions will be reduced if owners leash their dogs before the carrier enters their property.