A Florida mail carrier who was hospitalized in critical condition after being mauled by a pack of dogs has died from her injuries.
Pamela Jane Rock, 61, who was a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, was attacked by five dogs after her vehicle broke down on a North Florida road on Sunday afternoon.
Rock’s Postal Vehicle Broke Down
Putnam County Sheriff’s deputies found the woman on the ground when they arrived at the scene in Interlachen Lake Estates on Sunday afternoon, sheriff’s officials said in a Facebook post. They also found the dogs inside a fence at a nearby home.
Rock’s niece told NBC affiliate WTLV of Jacksonville that Rock had recently completed training with the Postal Service and was in a postal vehicle when it broke down Sunday in a neighborhood about 65 miles south of Jacksonville.
A nearby resident told deputies they heard the woman screaming for help and saw five dogs attacking her. Several neighbors tried pulling the dogs off the woman and one shot a gun into the air to scare the dogs away, the report said.
Deputies attempted to perform first aid on the mail carrier who was severely bleeding before she was transported to a hospital in Gainesville. She later died as a result of her injuries, the postal service said in a statement Tuesday.
“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.”
Dogs in Custody of Animal Control, to be Euthanized
The Putnam County Animal Control Unit has taken custody of the dogs. Authorities said that an investigation into the attack is ongoing and the owners of the dogs have been cooperative thus far. The animals will be euthanized, as reported by NBC News.
The attack came a day after another 69-year-old woman was attacked and killed by a pack of dogs in Holmes County, Florida. The victim, identified as Shirley Johnson, was bitted more than 100 times in the attack.
