MELROSE, Fla. – A postal office in Melrose will be renamed to honor the life of a mail carrier who was fatally mauled by a pack of dogs in Putnam County in 2022.
When Pam Rock’s postal car broke down on Aug. 21, 2022, while she was delivering mail on a dirt road, five dogs escaped their fenced-in yard and attacked her. The dogs’ owner had previously tried unsuccessfully to surrender them to animal control.
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She was 61 years old.
H.R. 3947 was signed into legislation Thursday and will change the name of the United States Postal Facility on 859 North State Road 21 to the Pamela Jane Rock Post Office Building.
Florida Congressman Aaron Bean introduced the bill to legislation.
“Pam had a servant’s heart, and it was obvious in the way she lived her life. While her time on this earth was tragically cut short, she served the U.S. Post Service with passion and integrity,” Bean said. “Designating the Melrose Post Office in her name will honor her legacy in the community she loved. I am very proud to see our bill signed into law officially memorializing Pam’s memory and commitment to Floridians.”
According to the U.S. Postal Service, more than 5,400 postal employees were attacked by dogs in the United States in 2021. Florida was one of the top 10 states for dog bites, with 201 reported incidents last year, according to USPS.
“We would like to thank Congressman Bean and Congresswoman Cammack for their tireless efforts in securing the name of this USPS facility for our beloved sister Pam,” the Rock Family said in a news release. “Pam was a devoted USPS employee who was sadly taken away from us while working in the line of duty. The naming of this facility honors Pam and her life of service, and is a comfort to all of us.”
Florida lawmakers also filed the “Pam Rock Act” in January to keep neighborhoods safe from dangerous dogs and prevent others from vicious attacks.
The proposed law would have required a dog with a history of biting or aggressively chasing someone to be immediately impounded by animal control as an investigation would be underway.
If a dog were found dangerous for another reason, they would have to be neutered, and their owner would have had to get liability insurance of at least $100,000 to cover damages in the event of an attack.
According to the Florida Senate’s website, the bill died in Judiciary in March.