The carrier was on his regular route on the afternoon of July 19 on A Street near 31st Street in the Golden Hill neighborhood when a pit bull ran out of an unlocked gate and attacked, said Postal Service spokeswoman Eva Jackson.
The dog jumped on the carrier and bit the carrier on the neck, as well as on the shoulder and six times on his legs, Jackson said.
The carrier, a military veteran who has been with the Postal Service for 13½ years, was hospitalized and had to undergo plastic surgery. He also lost several teeth in the attack, Jackson said.
He has not yet been able to return to work, she said.
The carrier, whose name has not been released, has volunteered to tell his story publicly on Thursday to bring attention to the problem of dog attacks, a major issue for postal workers, Jackson said.
In just the first seven months of this year, 31 letter carriers have been attacked by dogs in San Diego, she said. Last year, 32 postal employees were attacked. Dogs attacked 5,879 postal carriers last year across the country.
“And it’s not just pit bulls,” Jackson said. “Any dog can bite.”
The dog involved in the recent attack was relinquished by its owners and euthanized, she said. It was not the first time the animal had bitten someone, she said.
Postal officials said that costs associated with dog bites, including medical expenses, worker’s compensation, and legal and other costs add up to more than $25 million annually.
Pet owners can be held liable for medical expenses and other costs, which can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, officials said.
(U-T San Diego - July 30, 2013)
