Karl Schweikert of Aquila Network, Fountain, Colorado had been a meter reader for 5 months. Covering the same route for that time, so he knew what to expect in most yards. On this day he was approaching a home where the owners always put their dog away for him.  This dog a small Pit Bull mix, weighing about 30 pounds would always go crazy when he approached from the neighbors yard.  When the owners would put the dog away they would pass right by him, about 8 feet away from Karl, the dog then would appear friendly.
 

On this day when Karl approached the home, the daughter who was in her twenties answered the door.  Karl asked her to put the away so he could safely read the meter. The daughter said the dog would be fine; she would come with him into the backyard. Karl tried to talk her into putting the dog away but the daughter walked though the garage toward the door leading to the backyard. Karl followed but before she opened the door to the yard Karl asked again, “are you sure the dog is safe” .  She said: “yes the dog has never bit anyone”.
 

She went through the door first, Karl followed her closely in case the dog attacked the daughter could grab the dog. On ce through the door the daughter turns right, he checked left, then back to the right.  He caught something moving to his left, the dog never growled or barked.  When he saw the movement he switched his Itron (computer) to his left hand, so he could grab his ASP Baton with his right. The dog grabbed his hand before he could get to the Baton. The dog wouldn’t let go; he actually picked the dog off the ground and moved the dog toward the daughter. She stood and watched the dog attacking him and never made a move to help him.
 

After swinging the dog around 180 degrees, he lifted the dog completely off the ground trying to get the dog to let go.  The dog wasn’t letting go; he then dropped the dog to the ground hard and jerked his hand from the dog’s mouth. Karl now goes straight for his Baton.  Extending the Baton before the dog could come after him again. Karl raised the Baton over his head and stepped aggressively toward the dog.  The dog took off running towards the opposite corner of the yard, he ran after the dog following along the fence line.  On ce Karl got to the gas meter he stopped, he watched and the dog stop too.  The daughter was now calling the dog. The dog came over to her. Karl realized he had the Itron in his hand and went ahead and read the meter.
 

He now was walking to towards the daughter while watching the dog. Trying to transfer his Baton under his right arm and put his Itron into his badly injured hand. He needs a free hand to get to his radio. The hand does not work and the Itron falls to the ground. The daughter sees that his hand is torn up, he is unable to use it but she show no compassion.  Karl tells the daughter that he will have to report this. The daughter abruptly walks into the house leaving him alone with the dog.  From that point on Karl never sees her again.
 

No help, no apologies, nothing!
 

Karl is able to contact another meter reader that is in the area.  Scooping up the carrying strap of the Itron with his thumb, he starts backing out of the yard, watching the dog.  The dog was pacing in the corner, not acting aggressive. He went back through the garage door to exit the yard.  Chris, also a meter reader arrived, right behind him was Tom, a service technician who had heard Karl’s radio call. This is the first time Karl has looked at the damage the dog has done and his body immediately started shaking. First he counted his fingers, they were all there. Chris got his first aid kit and started cleaning the wounds with alcohol wipes. Karl had a puncture in his thumb and index finger.  What really concerned him was a long piece of skin that was hanging off the middle finger, continuing down into the webbing of the hand.  Karl was still breeding heavily; they wrapped the hand to try to slow down the blood flow.
 

Tom called Linda at the office to have her contact the Humane Society and let them know there was an emergency at their location.  The Humane Society had someone in route right away.  Karl waited and gave his statement. He drove his truck back to office where he was directed to the company doctor for treatment.
 

The medical staff cleaned the wounds on his fingers. The doctor had him soak his hand in an anti bacteria lotion for about 15 minutes during that time different doctors would walk into view his wound. Everyone wanted to see just how severe this dog bite had been. The middle finger had the bone exposed; usually doctors do not and should not stitch close dog bites.  They would put in one stitch to hold it together until Karl could get into surgery. The doctor’s needed to find out if the nerve had been severed, if not, was there nerve damage.  It turns out the nerve wasn’t severed just badly bruised. It was the worst nerve damage the doctor has ever seen. This is probably why Karl still has no feeling in that middle finger.
 

This is a good reminder that most customers do not understand their dog’s behavior when they say, “my dog is fine” or their dog won’t bite”.   They also do not understand that their presence in the yard makes the dog more aggressive. “An employee is more likely to be bitten in the presence of the owner than any other time” If Karl had to do it over again, he would not go into the yard until the dog was put away.
 

Karl Schweikert, Aquila
 

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