While driving around in a mail truck may seem like an easy job, it can be dangerous. The thought of U.S. Postal Workers being attacked or hounded by a dog seems like something you would see in a movie or animated series. However, it’s all too real and thousands of postal workers are attacked across the United States while on their routes. The annual Dog Attack ranking was recently released by the USPS and it showed a three percent boost in dog attacks than the previous year.
City rankings
Los Angeles was rated the number one city for dog attacks with Houston and Cleveland trailing right behind.
There is a total of 40 cities that are included in the top 30 for attacks by dogs. The other cities include San Diego, Louisville, Detroit, and Denver
Dog attacks seem to be more prevalent in larger cities as opposed to small towns. Mark Saunders, who is the spokesman for the postal service said, “Larger cities have a denser population and more pets, which means more attacks.” Linda DeCarlo, who is the Safety Director for the U.S. Postal Service gave some important tips to help keep postal workers safe. She said, “Dog bite prevention training and continuing education are important to keep pet owners, pets, and those who visit their homes—like letter carriers—happy and healthy.” DeCarlo also commented on the dog attacks that have occurred over the last year.
She said, “Even good dogs have bad days.”
Employee safety
Just like any other job profession, postal workers need to be safe too. DeCarlo urged dog owners to make postal workers aware of their dogs on the carrier routes. Mail customers can visit their local postal office where there are applications that ask them to state whether or not dogs are on the premises.
This can help ensure the safety of the postal workers. The delivery scanners will alert the postal workers if there is a dog in that area. Mail customers also have the option to arrange to pick up their mail.
DeCarlo said, “The scanners that Postal Service letter carriers use to confirm a customer’s delivery include a feature to indicate the presence of a dog at an individual’s address.” Sometimes there may be substitute carriers to replace the regular postal workers who are out sick, on vacation, or simply took a day off.
DeCarlo said, “This information is particularly helpful for substitute carriers who fill in for regular carriers on their days off.”
Knowing more about dog attacks that happen across the country and how pet owners can prevent them could help postal workers stay safe while on the job.
