PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – A 61-year-old postal worker is in critical condition after being attacked by dogs in the Interlachen Lake Estates area Sunday afternoon, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).
Witnesses told deputies they heard a woman screaming around for help around 12:45 p.m. and when they went outside, they saw the postal worker on the ground being attacked by five dogs. The witnesses said several neighbors tried to pull the dogs off, and one fired a rifle into the ground to scare the dogs off.
News4JAX spoke with one of the neighbors who wanted to remain anonymous and said he knew he had to help someone in need.
A man that lives in the Interlachen Lakes Estates is shaken up after witnessing that attack. He said he called 911 and grabbed his rifle the second he heard screaming.
The neighbor also said he helped because it was the right thing to do and he’d want someone to do it for me.
PCSO said the postal worker’s vehicle was broken down at the time of the attack.
When deputies arrived, the report stated, they found the woman on the ground bleeding severely and noticed five dogs inside a fenced area on Walker Drive. They immediately started first aid assistance on the woman including applying tourniquets until rescue units arrived. The woman was transported to the local hospital and then flown to the trauma center in Gainesville, where she remains in critical condition, PCSO said.
Deputies said animal control was called to the scene and took custody of the dogs. Deputies did not mention what could have prompted the dogs to attack.
Neighbors said the five dogs are bulldog mixes that always travel together without any collars or tags.
“The dogs have been a nuisance for a long time,” one neighbor told News4JAX. “They get in my garbage when I try to shoo them away. They bark and snarl at me.”
The neighbors described the postal worker as a “nice lady.”
“She was real sweet. She left apples in the mailbox for the horse and little notes here and there. She would ask how the kids were when she dropped off packages.”
“Our hearts are with the victim and her family as they navigate through this tragic event,” Sheriff H.D. DeLoach said. “It is imperative that dog owners take responsibility in keeping their animals in a secured location for their safety and those around.”