A Royal Mail postman kicked a blind Shih Tzu “like a football” in Aylesbury, causing organ failure. The dog was put down. Royal Mail has suspended the driver.
A Royal Mail postman killed a blind dog after kicking the animal “like a football” in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, on Saturday morning.
The delivery driver kicked a Shih Tzu called Ethel at around 11am, causing the pet to suffer organ failure. The driver, dressed in an England football shirt, denied kicking the dog when he handed a parcel to the owner, Eve Lewis, 40.
But Ring doorbell footage obtained by the family showed him kicking the pet, which rolled to the ground. The driver has reportedly been suspended by Royal Mail. Causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is a criminal offence carrying a sentence of up to five years in prison or an unlimited fine.
Owner Says Dog Was Kicked “Like a Football”
“He didn’t even just kick her, he toe punted her like she was a football. She flew up in the air and hit the ground and rolled three times,” Lewis said. “The driver was walking away and still made the effort to turn around and kick her.”
Lewis said the dog was partially blind and had one tooth. Vets concluded Ethel had suffered organ failure caused by blunt force trauma. After being told the animal would have irreversible brain damage, Lewis made the decision to have her put down on Sunday.
“Her blood pressure dropped and they put tubes up her nose. Then they said there’s internal bleeding. I went home overnight, but when I came back in the morning, she was pretty much already out of it,” she said.
Royal Mail launched an investigation and promised to pay the family’s vet bills. A spokesman said: “We are deeply sorry for this distressing incident. We are treating this matter very seriously. We have seen the footage and launched a full investigation.”
Safeguarding measures have been put in place and no arrests have been made, police said.