Dog Bite Prevention: The U.S. Postal Service Wants to Reduce the Number of Dog Bites (How You Can Help!) by 30Seconds Health

The number of postal employees attacked by dogs nationwide reached 6,244 in 2017 – more than 500 fewer than 2016. “We’re encouraged by the decrease in dog attacks,” said U.S. Postal Service Safety Director Linda DeCarlo in San Diego, where postal employees suffered 46 attacks – the fifth ranked city in 2017. “The totals are still too high, but we’re confident that with continuing education and dog bite prevention training, along with advancing technology, we can keep more people safe and keep attacks trending downward. 

DeCarlo shared the following tips on how you can help keep our post office workers safe:

• If a carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. Some dogs burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to attack visitors. Dog owners should keep the family pet secured.

• Parents should remind their children and other family members not to take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet, as the dog may view the person handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.

• The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. If a carrier feels threatened by a dog, or if a dog is loose or unleashed, the owner may be asked to pick up mail at a Post Office until the carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If a dog is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner’s neighbors also may be asked to pick up their mail at the area’s Post Office.

Read more about dog bite prevention and see how your city ranks in dog bite stats at USPS.com. 

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