Pamela Jane Rock: Florida mail carrier, 61, brutally mauled by pack of five dogs, dies
PUTNAM COUNTY, FLORIDA: Pamela Jane Rock, a female postal worker in Florida, died after a pack of dogs allegedly attacked her on Sunday, August 21. Rock, 61, of Melrose, was mauled by five dogs in the Interlachen Lake Estates area and succumbed to her injuries.
She was attacked in east of Gainesville after her postal delivery truck broke down in Interlachen, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office informed Action News Jax. The deputies found her bleeding on the ground following the alleged attack, and the dogs had been hidden inside a nearby fence.
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Neighbors rushed to the driver's aid after hearing her cries and spotting her being mauled as she laid on the ground. They had to fire a rifle into the ground to frighten the dogs away. She was transported in critical condition to a trauma hospital in Gainesville after being transported by ambulance to HCA Florida Putnam Hospital, according to deputies.
USPS drivers have dog alert features on their portable scanners to warn them of potential canine hazards during deliveries. It is unknown exactly what service Rock was delivering for. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office reported the 61-year-old's demise on Tuesday, August 23. Five bulldog-mix dogs were responsible, according to neighbors who spoke to News4Jax.
One neighbor said, "The dogs have been a nuisance for a long time. They get in my garbage when I try to shoo them away. They bark and snarl at me." The postal worker was referred to as a "nice lady" by the neighbors.
"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," one neighbor stated. Sheriff HD "Gator" DeLoach said, "Our hearts are with the victim and her family as they navigate through this tragic event. It is imperative that dog owners take responsibility in keeping their animals in a secured location for their safety and those around."
The USPS reported that in 2021, there were more than 5,400 dog attack incidents involving postal delivery drivers, with 201 of those incidents occurring in Florida. Dog owners are encouraged to confine their pets "inside the house or behind a fence, away from the door or in another room or on a leash" if a postal courier visits their residence.
On Sunday, August 21, animal control picked up the five dogs and took them into custody. PCSO said that the dogs' owner had surrendered custody and that they will be euthanised in a compassionate manner on August 23, Tuesday.