The US Postal Service (USPS) launched the 2024 National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign, announcing that incidents related to dog attacks on employees increased to more than 5,800 cases last year.
With this campaign, USPS is offering crucial information on how dog owners can be good stewards of safe mail delivery and ensuring employee safety.
The campaign began on Sunday, June 2, and will run until Sunday, June 9, with the theme: “Don’t let your dog bite the hand that serves you.”
“Post carriers are exposed to potential dangers every day, none more frequent than an encounter with a dog. “All it takes is one interaction for a mail carrier to possibly suffer an injury,” said Leeann Theriault, USPS Employee Safety and Health Manager.
“The US Postal Service consistently encourages responsible pet ownership. “The National Dog Bite Campaign is an effort to promote dog bite awareness to keep our customers, their dogs and mail carriers safe while delivering mail,” Theriault added.
Dog owners can help with safe mail delivery
Mail carriers know that all dogs can bite, even those perceived as non-aggressive. Dogs generally protect their territory and dog owners have the important responsibility of controlling their dogs to ensure safe delivery of mail.
Most people know the approximate time their mail carrier arrives each day. Securing your dog before the carrier approaches his property will minimize any potentially dangerous interactions.
When a mailman comes to your house, keep the dogs:
· Inside the house or behind a fence;
· Away from the door or in another room; either
· With a strap.
· Pet owners should also remind children not to receive mail directly from a mail carrier, as the dog may view it as a threat to the child.
Stay informed, check the mail before it arrives
Using Informed Delivery, a free USPS service, customers can digitally preview incoming mail and packages from a computer, tablet or mobile device. Registration is at informeddelivery.usps.com. This service can help dog owners anticipate when their carrier will arrive.
Consequences of a dog attack
According to the most recent information available from the Insurance Information Institute, the average cost per dog bite insurance claim is $64,555. When a postal employee suffers an injury, the owner could be liable for the employee’s medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering.
Stay focused on delivering
Mail carriers are trained to observe an area where they know dogs may be present. They are taught to be alert for potentially dangerous conditions and to respect the dog’s territory.
“Even though a customer’s dog is friendly with most people, he can always have a bad day,” said mail carrier Tara Snyder. “I know from experience, even when there is a dog in the house, clients should make sure the door is secure so their dog can’t open it and bite the mailman.”
The 10 cities with the most dog attacks on employees:
City: (1) Los Angeles, California
Attacks: 75
City: (2) Houston, Texas
Attacks: 56
City: (3) Chicago, Illinois
Attacks: 48
City: (4) St. Louis, Missouri
Attacks: 46
City: (5) Cleveland, Ohio
Attacks: 44
City: (6) San Diego, California
Attacks: 41
City: (7) Dallas, Texas
Attacks: 39
City: (8) Cincinnati, Ohio
Attacks: 38
City: (9) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attacks: 34
City: (10) Columbus, Ohio
Attacks: 33
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