'I am feeling very happy to be alive': Man shoots, kills dog attacking Topeka postal worker

TOPEKA (KSNT) - A postal worker says she is happy to be alive after a dog attacked her last week, a situation that ended when a nearby neighbor shot and killed the animal.

Sarah Stevens was delivering mail to homes along her route in the Kenwood neighborhood the morning of Friday, Oct. 17 when a pitbull allegedly leaped over the fence of a nearby yard and attacked her, biting her right hand. Sarah Stevens fought the animal off only for it to latch onto her arm again, sending her to the ground.

"It surprised me that it got out," Sarah Stevens said. "I was not expecting it. They bark at you, but there's lots of dogs that bark at you."

Sarah Stevens' cries for help were answered when a nearby neighbor armed with a firearm approached the dog and shot it. Phillip Stevens, Sarah's husband, was notified a short time later of the attack.

"She put her arm out and he shot the gun at the dog," Phillip Stevens said. "From there, that's when I got a call. She said 'hey I've been attacked by a dog' and I just flew."

Phillip Stevens said he and his wife spent several hours at a local hospital as medical staff examined the damage. Her injuries included a fracture along with multiple cuts and punctures.

The couple expressed their gratitude to the three people who intervened in the situation last week, including the man who shot and killed the dog. Sarah Stevens said that if he hadn't showed up, she may have suffered greater injuries.

"I am feeling very happy to be alive," Sarah Stevens said. "I'm glad it was me and not a child. Stuff happens, we just gotta get up and roll with it."

"The biggest thing is just thankful, she [Sarah] thought she was gonna die," Phillip Stevens said. "The dog would not stop coming after her. If he [the neighbor] wouldn't have done that... I'm just thankful somebody was there. I'm just glad a law abiding citizen was there to help."

We checked in with the Topeka Police Department and the U.S. Postal Service to learn more about the dog attack. Kimberly Qualls with the City of Topeka confirmed that officers responded to a medical call around 11:15 a.m. on Oct. 17 in the 100 block of Southwest Quinton Avenue.

Police arriving at the scene learned a 50-year-old woman had been bitten by a dog and suffered minor injuries. A witness to the attack fired a gun during the incident, hitting the dog which later died of its gunshot injury. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

USPS spokeswoman Tara Jarrett confirmed a dog bite incident occurred on Oct. 17 involving one of the agency's letter carriers. Thousands of dog attacks like the one that occurred last week in Topeka are reported each year by the USPS across the nation that involve its personnel. Mail delivery services can even be suspended if letter carriers feel unsafe due to unsecured dogs, forcing some homeowners to have to head to the local post office to collect mail.

Phillip Stevens said his wife is scheduled for further medical visits this week to examine damage to her hand and work out a recovery plan. Despite the incident, Sarah Stevens said she intends to hit the streets again to deliver mail in Topeka.

"I'm alive and I'm gonna heal and I'm gonna go back to delivering mail," Sarah Stevens said.

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