Protecting USPS Workers
June 17, 2020
Local mail carriers are asking you to keep an eye on your dog.
It’s a part of the 2020 U.S. Postal Service National Dog Bite Awareness Week which runs from June 14-20.
The theme for this year is “Be Alert: Prevent the Bite.”
According to USPS data, there were fewer attacks nationwide – down by more than 200 incidents from 2018 to 5,803 incidents in 2019.
Handheld scanners used by carriers to confirm deliveries include a feature to designate if there’s a dog present at a specific address.
The Postal Service offers the following safety tips:
When a letter 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 letter carriers in the presence of the family pet. The dog may view the letter carrier handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.
If a letter 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 another facility until the letter 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.
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