CRYSTAL LAKE – A U.S. Postal Service worker was injured Tuesday when he was bitten by a dog in Crystal Lake, authorities said.

The postal worker was on his mail route in the 800 block of Boxwood Drive when a pit bull bit one of his hands, Animal Control spokeswoman Debra Quackenbush said. The dog, which was unleashed and unattended, was found on the front porch of the home when emergency crews arrived.

The dog's owner arrived shortly after the incident, which occurred at 2:44 p.m. The dog was not current on its registration or vaccination, Quackenbush said.

The dog owner was given 24 hours to take the canine to a veterinarian for a 10-day rabies confinement observation, which is required during any bite investigation.

The investigation is ongoing, and the owner of the dog could face fines, Quackenbush said. The extent of the man's hand injury is unknown.

Animal Control had no previous complaints about the dog, named Lucy.