Dog 'crushed' by the postman

Last updated at 09:05 29 April 2005


A distraught family are demanding an explanation from the Royal Mail after a postman left their dog dying in the garden.

Gizmo, a five-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, was found lying on the path as the postman backed out of the gate.

He apologised for the incident, telling the father of Gizmo's owner Vicky Baguley he had accidentally fallen over the pet, apparently dealing him a crushing blow.

Miss Baguley, a flight attendant with Astraeus Airlines, said: "My dad heard the mail drop and went out. When he opened the door, the dog was on the driveway and the postman said he'd fallen over Gizmo.

"Gizmo was flat out and the postman said he hoped he wasn't hurt. Nobody saw the incident, so we don't know exactly what happened.

"Gizmo was only small, it seems hard to believe that a dog could die by someone tripping over it."

Post-mortem

A post-mortem revealed he had died from a "severe head trauma" after the incident on September 30 last year.

The Royal Mail has sent Miss Baguley, 32, a cheque for £130 to cover the vet's fees.

"I don't want money," she said, "I want a proper answer to what happened.

"Gizmo was a lovely dog. He used to bark at people because it was his territory, but he'd never bite anyone. We all loved him and we miss him so much."

To make things worse for Miss Baguley, the same postman is still delivering mail to her home in Dunkirk Street, Droylsden, Greater Manchester.

The Royal Mail said he had been formally interviewed, but consumer body Postwatch said the company had not given them a "conclusive" response.

A Royal Mail official said: "Miss Baguley has our sympathies, but her complaint has been thoroughly investigated. There's nothing we can add."

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