A postman wearing an England shirt was seen on Ring doorbell footage kicking 11-year-old shih tzu Ethel - so hard she had to be put down by a vet16:17, 16 Jul 2026A postman wearing an England shirt has been seen on camera kicking a blind dog so hard she had to be put down.‌Owner Eve Lewis, 40, caught the incident on her Ring doorbell. It took place just after he delivered a parcel at her home in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, last Saturday.‌Ethel, a shih tzu, was kicked up into the air "like a football", Eve said, with the dog later dying from organ failure after being taken to the vets. The 11-year-old dog was partially blind and had only one tooth and so clearly wasn't dangerous, explained the owner.‌She said: "The driver was walking away and still made the effort to turn around and kick her. He didn’t just kick her, he toe punted her like she was a football. She flew up in the air and hit the ground and rolled three times."The NHS worker, who has a five-year-old son and another dog, a French bulldog called Stanley, told of her heartbreak when she found out the dog could not be saved.‌She continued: "Her blood pressure dropped and they put tubes up her nose. Then they said there’s internal bleeding. At this point, I’m thinking, 'this literally can’t be happening'. From then on, it was just a complete blur... I went home overnight, but when I came back to the vets’ in the morning, she was pretty much already out of it."Eve was left with no option but to have Ethel put down due to her having suffered brain damage."We always called her Ethel 2.0 because after every surgery she had she would bounce back, but she didn’t make it this time. She was an old gal," she told The Sun. "I just don’t want this to happen to anyone else. I’m heartbroken and angry. I’ve gone through about 100 packs of tissues."‌The Royal Mail is investigating the incident and will take "appropriate action" when it is complete. It has also confirmed it will pay the veterinary costs.A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We are deeply sorry for this distressing incident, and we know how upsetting it is for the family... We take animal welfare and the safety of our people very seriously. Dog-related incidents can present a serious risk to postal workers, and we will take any appropriate action once our investigation is complete."A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: "Officers were made aware of a criminal damage and animal welfare incident at an address on Marston Gate around 10.45am on Saturday (11/7) following a report on Sunday (12/7). Sadly, the victim's dog died of injuries.Article continues below"Subsequently, a later incident in the area of Broughton at around 11.30am was reported the same day (11/7). This is believed to be in connection with the criminal damage and animal welfare investigation."No arrests have been made but there is ongoing enquiries and safeguarding ongoing into these incidents."