Four Tips for Preventing Dog Attacks on Mail Carriers
Can you picture a member of your family attacking a mail carrier? Of course not, but it happened over 6,000 times last year across the nation.
“I was bit by a dog on my leg recently and my mail satchel helped protect me,” said Francisco Juarez, a letter carrier who delivers in Houston, TX. “The sound of a dog barking while on my route puts me on high alert and I try to be ready to protect myself.”
Juarez recognizes the importance of the safety training he’s received as a letter carrier to help protect himself from dog attacks while delivering the mail. Even though he diligently follows dog bite safety protocols while on his route, he was still attacked by a dog.
When a dog attacks a letter carrier, the dog owner could be held liable for all medical expenses, repayment of lost work hours, replacement of the uniform and other costs, which can run into thousands of dollars. The Postal Service makes the safety of its employees a top priority and dedicates time each year on Dog Bite Awareness.
Here are four simple tips to prevent dog bite injuries year-round:
Door Delivery: 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 push through screen doors or plate-glass windows to attack visitors. Dog owners must keep the family pet secured. Never let your child take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet, as the dog may see this as a threatening gesture.
Restrain Your Dog: Carriers may assume that if they see no physical fence around a property that the property is animal-free. This can be a dangerous mistake. Postal Service officials request that you keep your dog restrained or inside when the mail is delivered. Although the electronic fence may keep your dog from wandering, it does not protect your carrier, who must enter your property to deliver the mail. Even homes with curbside mailboxes may have oversized packages or signature-needed items that require the carrier to approach a doorstep and cross the boundaries of the electronic fence. This poses a serious risk to carrier safety.
Dog in the Yard: Make sure your dog is properly restrained on a leash and away from where your mail carrier delivers the mail. If the carrier deems a residence unsafe because of an unrestrained dog, mail delivery service can be interrupted. When service is interrupted at an address or in a neighborhood, all parties involved will have to pick up mail at their local Post Office. Service will be restored once assurance has been given that the animal will be confined during regular delivery hours.
Tracking: Dog owners who have access to postal notification features, such as Informed Delivery (informeddelivery.usps.com) for letter mail and package tracking, are urged to use these features to determine when the carrier is on their way and to ensure their dog has been properly restrained. Expecting a postal package delivery on Sunday? Postal officials urge dog owners to restrain their animals on Sundays as well, since more residences now receive deliveries throughout the weekend.