Postmen defend Royal Mail employee caught kicking blind dog that later died from its injuries
Other postmen have defended a Royal Mail delivery driver who kicked a blind dog which died several days later.
Ethel, an 11-year-old Shih Tzu owned by Aylesbury woman Eve Lewis, was kicked a couple of weeks ago by a Royal Mail delivery driver and a vet said that the animal stood little chance of survival.
Several days after the kick Eve had to make the difficult decision to put her dog down.
The delivery driver had initially tried to deny kicking the dog but Ring doorbell footage showed they had done it.
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"The driver was walking away and still made the effort to turn around and kick her," Eve said.
"He didn’t just kick her, he toe punted her like she was a football. She flew up in the air and hit the ground and rolled three times.
Eve says she's 'heartbroken' from the whole thing, but according to the Daily Telegraph some other postmen have defended their colleague saying they've had difficulty with dogs in their career.
It's been a stereotype for a long time, that a dog is the postman's greatest adversary, and the reality for many who spend their days putting letters through your door is that there are going to be some homes on the route with a dreaded dog.
That's not to say that Ethel the blind Shih Tzu was necessarily a problem, with the dog being blind and only having one tooth, and Royal Mail said they'd pay Eve's vet bills.
However, some posties have said that in their experience they get bitten by dogs whose owners swear they've 'never done that before'.
One said: "I kicked a terrier that bit my leg to get it off me, and I would do it again.
“I would say about 10 of us in my office have been bitten. It’s very common, and it’s always the dogs that have ‘never done that before’."
Another said that while they 'felt for that dog and the owner', they 'also felt for the postie' because they know what it's like to be in the mindset of being bitten by a dog and wondering if it's going to happen again.
“If you have been bitten, or been threatened with being bitten, it makes you scared. They come snapping at your ankles and it’s frightening," a postman said.
Someone else said to the delivery driver they were 'on his side', explaining that they're told 'not to take any risks' when the unexpected happens.
A postman who was bitten last year and suffered a bleeding wound told the Telegraph that in their experience most dog owners 'laugh it off'.
Royal Mail said that last year their staff suffered 2,019 dog attacks and encourages dog owners to be aware of where their pets are.
A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We are deeply sorry for this distressing incident, and we know how upsetting it is for the family.
"We are treating this matter very seriously. We have seen the footage and launched a full investigation to establish the circumstances. We have also confirmed to the family that we will cover the veterinary costs.
"We take animal welfare and the safety of our people very seriously. Dog-related incidents can present a serious risk to postal workers, and we will take any appropriate action once our investigation is complete."
A Thames Valley Police spokesman said at the time: "No arrests have been made but there are ongoing enquiries regarding animal welfare and criminal damage incidents."
LADbible Group have contacted Thames Valley Police for further comment.
Joe Harker