SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Pit bulls that attacked UPS driver to be euthanized
Jan 24, 2018, 2:09 PM | Updated: Jan 25, 2018, 10:52 am
UPS driver Kevin Backlund after being attacked by four pit bulls. (KIRO 7)
(KIRO 7)
The four pit bulls who attacked a UPS driver in September are expected to be euthanized by the Pierce County Humane Society, KIRO 7 News reported.
Kevin Backlund, 53, fought off the dogs for over 30 minutes after he was mauled while delivering a package to an Orting home.
RELATED: UPS driver speaks about pit bull attack: ‘Fight for my life was on’
Backlund, who previously worked in law enforcement, said he followed protocol and made his presence known before entering the property. He saw no signs of dogs on site until he got much closer to the house.
“The moment that I brought my eyes back to walking level, there they were. Four pit bulls taking positions around me,” Backlund told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson earlier this month. “I didn’t hear them. I didn’t see them. They just appeared and the fight, not just the fight, but the fight for my life was on.”
Eventually, Backlund was able to climb to safety atop a flatbed trailer and call 911. While waiting for help to arrive, Backlund said he sensed an “impending feeling of doom.”
“I realize I’m not winning. I can’t win,” he said.
When the Orting Valley Fire Department arrived, Backlund said a woman on the property wouldn’t let them in. She had apparently seen the dogs attack the delivery driver but did not call them off. According to Backlund, the fire department vehicle rammed the locked gate in order to rescue him.
Due to his extensive injuries, Backlund had to undergo surgery. He received over 150 stitches and staples and later filed suit against the dogs’ owners and others responsible for the property on which he was attacked.
Backlund shared a statement with KIRO 7 News regarding the pit bulls being put down.
“I am a dog guy. I love dogs. It is sad when any dog has to be put down. I believe that no breed of dog is ‘born bad’. People turn dogs into killers. The dogs that attacked me did what they were raised to do, what they were trained to do. Although I am saddened when any dog is euthanized, I am very happy that the dogs that attacked me will never have the opportunity to attack anyone else. The public is now safe from these dogs.”
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