UPS driver attacked by 3 pit bulls in NE Indiana, police say

(WANE) — A UPS driver suffered multiple injuries Monday after being attacked by multiple pit bulls while delivering a package in DeKalb County.

According to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a home along State Road 1 just outside Hamilton town limits on reports of a dog bite. Officers found the man suffering from bite wounds to his head, arms and abdomen.

The man told police he had been delivering a package to the home when a woman opened the door to sign for the delivery and five pit bulls ran outside. As he tried to get away, one of the dogs reportedly bit him in the back of the leg, causing him to fall.

After that, he said three of the younger dogs started to bite him while the other two abstained. The woman yelled at the dogs and ended the attack.

Authorities transported the UPS driver to a hospital for treatment, and he has since been released with stitches. The woman — identified as the owner of the dogs — voluntarily surrendered three of the dogs to Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control (FWACC) for standard quarantine procedures and also provided vaccination documents.

A public information officer with FWACC later told WANE 15 the dogs were “humanely euthanized” due to the “aggressive nature” of the attack on Monday.

Although the case was outside of FWACC’s jurisdiction, the shelter was able to take the dogs after the owner signed them over to FWACC, requested euthanasia and paid for the services.

“Part of being a responsible pet owner is being willing to make those tough decisions, even if it means that they have to humanely euthanize their own pets. It’s hard,” FWACC Director Amy-Jo Sites said. “So many people think that there are these magical farms out there that you can just put an aggressive dog out there and they can live out their life. Those unicorn homes do not exist, and if they do, they’re few and far between, so she was a responsible pet owner by bringing them in and making that tough decision.”

Sites said it is important to report every animal bite. More resources about what to do regarding animal bites can be found on FWACC’s website.

The incident is still under investigation, and a decision regarding potential criminal charges has not yet been made, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.