Texas postal worker accused of mortally wounding Fort Worth family dog with rock

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 21 (UPI) -- A Texas family was forced to put down their 10-pound dog Maxwell after a postal worker mortally wounded him by striking him in the head with a rock.

According to the mail carrier, he felt threatened by the tiny terrier and bashed him in the head in self-defense.

Lawrence Brown realized that Maxwell had gotten out of his yard and found him across the street yelping in pain with the mailman nearby.

"I asked him why he hit my wife's dog with a rock, and he said, 'I did what I had to do,'" Brown told the Star-Telegram.

After taking him to the vet, the Browns had no choice but to euthanize Maxwell.

"He damaged the spinal cord, damaged his nerves," Taiesha Brown told WFAA. "I'm very angry. He has seen our dog every day for five years; [the letter carrier] knows that is our dog."

The Browns filed a police report about animal cruelty and an investigation is ongoing.

"The postal service takes the issue of dog bite prevention very seriously," Postal Service spokeswoman Arlene Sanchez said in a statement. "We are saddened at the loss of the customer's pet. Local postal officials are conducting a thorough investigation and will take appropriate action, as needed, pending the results. We understand that in this instance, the letter carrier was defending himself from a dog attack."