Postmen defend Royal Mail worker who kicked blind Shih Tzu before she died as pet owners ‘laugh off attacks on posties’

POSTMEN have come to the defence of a Royal Mail worker who kicked a blind Shih Tzu before she died. The unidentified parcel delivery man was caught on camera booting the pooch, Ethel, outside the family home in Aylesbury, Bucks. Postmen are defending a delivery driver after he was caught kicking a blind dog to death Credit: Eve Lewis The unnamed Royal Mail worker was reportedly suspended Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Ethel was rushed to the vets but her injuries proved fatal and she sadly passed away. Now, following a wave of backlash online, postal workers have come out in defence of the man’s attack. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! “I kicked a terrier that bit my leg to get it off me, and I would do it again,” one postman told The Telegraph. “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 added: “I felt for that dog and the owner but I also felt for the postie. The 11-year-old Shih Tzu named Ethel died due to organ failure following the kick Credit: Supplied Owner Eve Lewis, 40, said her dog was partially blind and posed no threat to the worker Credit: Doug Seeburg/News Group Newspapers Ltd “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.” Most read in The Sun Around 2,019 dog attacks were reported last year on postal workers, according to Royal Mail. Of those, 61 had caused significant injuries to employees. It is reported that half of these attacks happened at the front door, with a quarter occurring in a garden, drive, or yard. After being left with a bleeding cut by a dog, a postman said that pet owners “laugh it off”. He also claimed that it was deemed “socially acceptable” for a dog to attack delivery workers. The postie alleged that that many pet owners were “thoughtless” after attacks. The driver that kicked the 11-year-old Shih Tzu has reportedly been suspended by Royal Mail. Royal Mail have also promised to pay Ethel’s family’s vet bills and launched an investigation into the incident. The incident was caught on Eve Lewis’s Ring Doorbell, showing the man, dressed in an England football shirt hoofing Ethel. The small pooch flew through the air and rolled along the ground. She told The Sun that the incident was particularly shocking as her dog was partially blind and only had one tooth, and therefore posed no threat to the worker. The 40-year-old took Ethel to the vets, who sadly could not save her. They concluded that she died from organ failure caused by blunt force trauma. A Royal Mail spokeswoman told The Sun: “Dog-related incidents can present a serious risk to postal workers. “We take our responsibility to protect colleagues very seriously, providing practical guidance and support and taking immediate action where a dog presents a risk to their safety or prevents deliveries from being made safely. “Dog owners have an important role to play by keeping pets secure and away from the door when deliveries are being made.”