The number of U.S. Postal Service employees attacked by dogs nationwide fell to 5,803 in 2019 — more than 200 fewer than in 2018 and more than 400 fewer since 2017. For Postal Service officials and mail carriers, one bite is one too many. The Postal Service has new technology tools to help reduce dog attacks.
In Los Angeles, 74 carriers were attacked in 2019, noted Joe Zapata, Postmaster.
The theme for the 2020 U.S. Postal Service National Dog Bite Awareness Week, June 14-20, is “Be Alert: Prevent the Bite.” The campaign addresses aggressive dog behaviors that pose serious threats to the more than 80,000 Postal Service employees delivering mail and how communities they serve can play an integral part in their safety.
“During this difficult time, our letter carriers are delivering mail and they need to do it safely,” said Postal Service Safety Awareness Program Manager Chris Johnson. “We can continue to move the number of dog attacks downward by increasing awareness.”
According to Johnson, technology supports carrier safety in two ways: Mobile Delivery Devices, handheld scanners used by carriers to confirm customer delivery, now include a feature to indicate the presence of a dog at an individual address; and Informed Delivery, which alerts customers to mail and packages coming to their homes, allows customers to plan for the carrier’s arrival by securing dogs safely.
Letter carriers often have stories of bites, attacks and near misses to share such as the following instances from carriers in the Los Angeles district that serves ZIP codes 900-905 and 907-908:
Juan B.
Juan was viciously attacked by a pack of dogs (three or more is considered a pack) while delivering his route on a Saturday afternoon. He ended up with 50 stitches on his right side of his face and almost lost his right eye. He also suffered a severe bite on his left leg. He still suffers from post-traumatic syndrome as his stress and anxiety rises each time he recalls the incident.
Susanne H.
Susanne has experienced several dog bites since becoming a carrier. In the beginning of her postal career, she was on the street when a customer was on the street pushing a baby carriage. When her husband opened the door, she held up a dog leash in her hand so her husband could come get it. As the husband opened the door wider, the dog rushed out of the door and came charging at Susanne and bit her on the leg. Another time, a customer was walking two dogs on a leash and the dog got loose and bit her. And a most recent incident occurred while delivering mail at a house that she went to every day. She had never seen or heard a dog at that house before. She walks past the door on the front porch to get to the mail box. As she was putting mail into the mailbox, she heard a noise and a big dog crashes through the door and bites her on the arm. Although she was able to shake it off, the dog bit her on the back of her leg and was on the ground when the customer finally came out and the dog ran away.
Robert R.
Robert was delivering a route he had carried a few times. The owners of one of the houses had guests and the guests brought their Pitbull with them on their visit. The houses were large homes with long driveways. There were shrubs between the house he was going to and the one he had just delivered. He started to turn into the driveway when he saw the dog. He stopped, took a step back and veered to the middle of the street to bypass the home. Robert saw the dog had a large chain on it. The dog moved towards Robert. Robert knew to drop the bag between himself and the dog and before doing that he grabbed the dog spray. The dog was on a chain but he snapped the chain from the post and continued at Robert. Robert sprayed in the dog’s face. The dog slowed down but didn’t stop. Robert used the bag and the dog was able to pull it from him and lunged at Robert. The dog lunged towards Robert’s head/neck area. Robert put up his arm in defense and was bit in the forearm/elbow area. Neighbors helped and restrained the dog before he could bite again.
The Postal Service offers the following safety tips for dog owners:
• When 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. Dogs have been known to burst through screen doors or plate glass windows to attack visitors.
• Parents should remind children and other family members not to take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet. The dog may view the carrier handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.
• 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 location or other facility until the carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If the 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 location.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
