An American Bulldog attacked Tandi Ashburn on Monday about 1:40 p.m. as she made her delivery rounds in a North Platte neighborhood.
“It lunged at me,” Ashburn said. “It grabbed my arm and wouldn't let go. I was screaming at the top of my lungs, but nobody heard me.”
She backed away from the mailbox and the dog finally released her. It lunged a final time before turning and heading toward the front porch. Ashburn retreated across the street.
“I just kind of stood there on the sidewalk, hunched over with my arm dangling,” she said. “I was trying to keep the blood in the grass. I really kind of thought I was going to die.”
A woman driving by stopped and called an ambulance. Soon neighbors came out to help.
Ashburn was taken to Great Plains Regional Medical Centerm where she underwent surgery to clean grass, dog hair and bacteria out of the wound. She will have a metal plate installed in her arm.
Ashburn learned the dog's owners were home but didn't hear the commotion.
“They were so upset,” she said. “The woman stayed at the hospital with me for two hours while her husband made arrangements to have the dog put down. I feel bad they lost their family pet.”
John Pettit, animal control officer for the North Platte Animal Shelter, said the dog was euthanized.
He said it had not previously been designated as a potentially dangerous dog.
Ashburn's husband, Rob, is also a mail carrier. He said he's been bitten about two dozen times, even though he's gone through training to avoid it.
“State Patrol dog handlers come in and give us demonstrations about dog behavior, but the thing is, we're basically defenseless,” he said. “It happens so fast, you really don't have time to do anything.”
He said his wife's injuries are the worst he's seen in 24 years on the job.
(Omaha World Herald - July 14, 2011)
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