His owner says Taz is a loyal, energetic Belgian Malinois who usually spends his days frolicking outside the John Storey family residence with his counterpart, Aura.

This week, however, Taz is in the care of a veterinarian as the recovers from a blow to the head his owner alleges was unprovoked.

“He’s not going to be trustful of delivery folks now,” Storey said.

Storey, who owns a pharmacy, said Taz suffered a swollen eyelid and hazed-over right eye after a UPS driver struck the 2-year-old pooch when dropping off a package of cosmetics ordered by his wife.

A 2-minute segment of video from a home security system from three angles appears to show a UPS driver pulling up to Storey’s circular driveway on Stenson Road and encountering both guard dogs as they circle the delivery truck. Within seconds, the driver is seen standing ahead of the dog, striking Taz once near the top of the head with a long, rod-like object before dropping the package a few feet from the door. Storey said his wife was at home at the time, but was unaware of the incident until after the fact.

Following an arrest warrant issued by Warren County Justice Court, the driver was released from custody this morning on a $500 bond on an animal injury charge, part of the state animal cruelty statute, Sheriff Martin Pace said. If found guilty of the misdemeanor in Warren County Justice Court, the driver, faces up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.

Deliveries by the service to his home are common, Storey said, generally items out of clothing catalogs. Taz and Aura were purchased from Alpha Canine Training Center in Jackson to protect his property, Storey said.

“He knows basic commands. But if I say ‘Watch him,’ he knows that I don’t trust you,” Storey said of the two Malinois, a breed known for working in law enforcement and search and rescue.

UPS officials said they are aware of the incident and have been in contact with law enforcement. Atlanta-based company spokesman Dan McMacken, a self-professed “massive dog lover” and a former route driver bitten on the job by a German shepherd, said drivers are allowed to protect themselves — to a point.

“We don’t condone drivers’ carrying sticks,” McMacken said. “In general, if our drivers feel threatened, they can do what they need to do to protect themselves.”

McMacken confirmed the driver had been bitten before and likely feared for his life.

Drivers working in areas such as the area where Friday’s incident took place are told they may carry dog biscuits as a way of deterring dogs given to chasing the trucks, McMacken said.

A trial date for the driver had not been set.

*

Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com.