A US Postal Service worker in Tennessee gets violently attacked by a dog at a Lincoln County home while delivering a package on Saturday, June 15.
According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, through WAFF, the postal worker was delivering a package to a home on Harbin Road in Fayetteville where the garage door was open.
When she placed the package on down, a large dog jumped onto her and latched onto her arm.
“They say the woman tried to get the dog off her arm but only after she used dog spray did it let go of her,” WAFF reports.
The woman had to go to the hospital for the serious injuries she sustained on her arm. According to the police report, the woman had puncture wounds to the inside and outside of her left arm.
When the deputy who responded to the situation, Deputy Freddie Arnold, went to the house where the incident happened, the dog charged at him. So, the dog was confiscated by animal control.
Deputy Arnold made contact with the owner to inform him about the incident. When asked to provide the deputy with a copy of the dog’s rabies vaccine, the owner wasn’t able to provide him with one.
USPS reveals in a statement that they will temporarily suspended delivery to the specific residence where the dog attack happened until the situation is resolved.
This news comes only a few weeks after the US Postal Service celebrated their annual National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign, which aims to offer crucial information on how dog owners can help postal workers ensure a successful mail delivery along with the workers’ safety.
According to the USPS, incidents involving dog attacks on their workers have risen to more than 5,800 cases last year.
Leeann Theriault, USPS Manager, Employee Safety and Health Awareness, said, “Letter carriers are exposed to potential hazards every day, none more prevalent than a canine encounter. All it takes is one interaction for a letter carrier to possibly suffer an injury.”