USPS marks National Dog Bite Awareness week with a few tips on how to keep pet owners and letter carriers safe

COLORADO, USA (KRDO) – Sunday, June 4, is marking National Dog Bite Awareness week and the U.S. Postal Service is reminding the public to keep its workers safe as aggressive dog behavior is a common safety concern USPS employees often face. 

In light of the awareness week, the organization is providing important information on how dog owners can do their part to ensure a safe mail delivery. 

This year’s campaign theme is titled, “Even good dogs have bad days,” and will run Sunday, June 4, through Saturday, June 10. 

One way pet owners can help ensure a safe mail delivery is knowing when and how to secure your dog before the carrier approaches to help minimize any potentially dangerous interactions. 

USPS authorities state when a letter carrier comes to your home it’s best to keep dogs: 

• Inside the house or behind a fence
• Away from the door or in another room
• On a leash

Pet owners should also remind children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child. 

Even though USPS officials ask customers to control their dogs, bites can still happen, but letter carriers are trained to observe these kinds of situations where they know a dog may be present and respect the owner and dog’s territory. 

USPS states letter carriers are trained to: 

• Not startle a dog
• Keep their eyes on any dog
• Never assume a dog will not bite
• Make some noise or rattle a fence to alert a dog if entering a yard
• Never attempt to pet or feed a dog
• Place their foot against an outward swinging door to prevent a dog from escaping.

In a situation where a dog does attack, carriers are trained to stand their ground and protect their body by placing something between them and the dog and even to use repellant when necessary. 

It’s important to understand injuries to carriers can result in costly medical expenses for dog owners. What’s more, USPS states, is when a carrier feels unsafe, mail service could be halted—not only for the dog owner, but for the entire neighborhood.

When mail service is stopped, mail must be picked up at the Post Office and mail services will not be restored until the aggressive dog is properly restrained.

To avoid these incidents, USPS states carriers have tools to alert them to dogs on their routes. A dog alert feature on carriers’ handheld scanners can remind them of a possible dog hazard, and dog warning cards may be used during mail sorting to alert carriers to routes where a dog may interfere with delivery.

Still, a safe mail delivery for both parties can occur if both pet owners and letter carriers heed the above best practices to help stop dog bites and protect postal service employees. 

To help dog owners know when their carrier will arrive USPS states customers can sign up for a digital preview for their incoming mail and packages from a mobile device by signing up at the link here.