A Washington man who was left injured after being mauled by four pit bulls while delivering mail has sued the owner.
UPS driver Kevin Backlund, 59, was attacked in September outside a Puyallup home where he was left bloodied, bruised and unable to walk.
‘I was in a fight for my life,’ Backlund said of the horrific incident, while speaking with KHOU.
‘I am looking for a dog bowl, a dog dish, any dog toys, droppings or anything that would indicate that there was a hazard on the property,’ he explained of the moments leading up to the attack.
Kevin Backlund, 59, was left injured and unable to walk after he was brutally attacked by four pit bulls while delivering mail at a Puyallup, Washington home in September
The four pit bills are currently in custody in Pierce County until further notice
The owner has argued the dogs were just being protective and ‘doing their job’ when they attacked
‘Mr. Backlund was on top of this trailer covered in blood, he had a dog hanging off his leg,’ Lt. Steve Goodwin of Orting Valley Fire and Rescue testified of what he saw at the scene
The owner claimed there was a ‘Mean Dogs’ sign in front of the gate, which police found hidden in the bushes
When Backlund honked his horn, rattled the fence and saw no indication of a hazard, he entered through the property’s open gate.
Within seconds, he said, the dogs ‘attacked all at once. One, then two, then three. All four at once,’ according to the news station.
Backlund was able to phone 911 after leaping onto a flatbed trailer and fending off one of the pit bulls latched onto his leg.
‘Mr. Backlund was on top of this trailer covered in blood, he had a dog hanging off his leg,’ Lt. Steve Goodwin of Orting Valley Fire and Rescue testified during a November court hearing.
‘I was in a fight for my life,’ Backlund said of the horrific incident, while speaking with KHOU
Backlund sobbed as he looked back on the photos of himself after the life-threatening incident
The owner told a county official over the phone: ‘We have $3 million worth of equipment in that lot and those dogs were doing their job’
Blood is shown dripping down on outside equipment after the pit bulls attacked Backland
Horrendous photos of a worn-out Backlund afterward show him sitting in a wheelchair at the hospital, with a leg cast and other injuries.
The owner, who did not appear in court, has argued the dogs were being protective and ‘just doing their job.’ The owner appealed the ruling, which was denied.
The individual also claimed there was a ‘Mean Dogs’ warning sign in front of the gate, which police later found ‘partially hidden in the bushes,’ K5 News reports.
‘We have $3 million worth of equipment in that lot and those dogs were doing their job,’ the owner told a county official over the phone.
In the interview with KHOU, Backlund sobbed as he looked back on the photos of himself after the life-threatening attack.
All four pit bills are currently in custody in Pierce County.
Prosecutors have yet to decide whether the owner will face criminal charges stemming from the September incident.
Prosecutors will decide whether the owner will face criminal charges from the incident
Backlund is pictured before the dog attack. He said he took the appropriate measures of safety before entering the property to deliver mail