The joke about postal workers and dogs has long existed, but for good reason considering the number of postal workers who are chased, barked at, or even attacked by dogs on the properties they serve. Many mailmen have even sued over dog attacks in recent years. Process servers now must consider the same threat after the tragic death of Erin McCleskey, a 36-year-old process server from Travis County, Texas who was killed by dogs on the property while trying to serve civil papers.
Authorities believe that the homeowners were not present when McCleskey arrived and entered through the property’s front gate, but their six Labrador/Great Pyrenee dogs, plus 14 puppies, were outside. So far, this is considered a terrible accident since the dogs’ owner, Terry Swanson, was out of town and made no purposeful effort to have his dogs attack McCleskey. Instead, a caretaker was tasked with feeding the dogs and left them to roam free in the gated yard.
Though all animal centers in the area have no prior animal complaints involving dogs on the property, Swanson’s neighbors offer a different story. One neighbor said his dog was attacked by Swanson’s dogs when they got loose, but 911 never responded to his report. Another neighbor said she can’t let her children ride bikes or skateboards outside because Swanson’s dogs have been running loose around the neighborhood since 2005.
McCleskey’s death has caused immense heartbreak to her family, friends, and company. The chief operating officer of EZ Messenger, Casey Cox, explained that McCleskey was the daughter of his business partner and worked as an independent contractor for the company. All process servers are trained to deal with violent dogs and use situational awareness, but this awful accident is a reminder that process servers need to exhaust every bit of care when approaching an unknown property.
