Dog Attack Kills Female Postal Worker

She sometimes put apples in mailboxes along with the mail she delivered.  Other times she handed out candy to children on her rural mail delivery route as she distributed mail to a person’s door.  Something everyone agreed on was that Pamela Jane Rock was a good, good person. Her family is still in shock over her death.

Aggressive Pets Attacked 

It started like any other warm August day in 2022.  But before long, it became a day of terror. Five dogs–known to be aggressive and to have once killed a smaller dog in the area—attacked Rock as she attended to her delivery route. Neighbors heard her screams for help, but by the time they got to her side the damage had been done. Three tourniquets stemmed the blood loss, but could not stop the damage to Rock’s heart, which went into cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital.  Within a day, everyone’s favorite mail delivery lady was dead.

How Could This Happen?

 As friends, family, and those in the neighborhood mourn their loss, one has to wonder how this could have been allowed to occur.  The dogs had been reported to have caused disturbances in the past.  Their owner seemed ambivalent about the problem, and though they were kept behind a fence, they’d been known to escape in the past.  One neighbor feared the dogs so much that she no longer allowed her daughter to walk past the property on her way to the school bus stop.  They were a known threat, yet continued to be a menace. It took the death of a beloved woman to finally result in their euthanasia.

Owner Responsibility 

The owner of the dogs—who has not been named by authorities due to the ongoing investigation—is going to have to face Florida’s strict liability laws going forward.  Statute is clear about this: when victims are attacked in public spaces, or while lawfully on private property, owners are responsible, whether or not the animal has a history of aggression. In this case, the animals were known to be antagonistic toward others. The family of Ms. Rock may be eligible to recover compensation for their loss, from the medical and funeral costs and lost wages to their emotional trauma.

Dog Attacks are All too Common 

Thousands of dog attacks occur across the country every year, hundreds of them right here in Florida.  If you or a loved one have been the victim of this type of experience, you know how physically and emotionally devastating it can be.  The Kissimmee dog bite attorneys at Salazar & Kelly Law Group, P.A. are prepared to fight for compensation on your behalf.  To discuss your situation, schedule a confidential consultation today.

Sources:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0767/Sections/0767.04.html

nytimes.com/2022/08/23/us/florida-mail-carrier-dog-attack.html?referringSource=articleShare