Call off the dogs!
A new report from the U.S. Postal Service says that more than 5,800 mail carriers were attacked by dogs in 2020.
That’s already pretty bad. But it also looks like canines in Ohio — and specifically in Cincinnati — could be blamed for a big chunk of those attacks.
Ohio is among the top three states for dog bites to mail carriers, according to a release from USPS. There were 369 canine attacks in Ohio during 2020, compared to 378 in 2019. Ohio was ranked No. 3 overall in 2019, as well.
Dogs also are biting mail carriers in Cincinnati. According to the USPS report, the Queen City is No. 14 in the country for such attacks, tied with Phoenix, Indianapolis and Philadelphia. In 2020, 26 dogs bit postal workers as they tried to deliver mail and packages during an already brutal coronavirus pandemic.
California tops the list of states with the most dog bites, while Houston — coming in at No. 1 — is the city that most refuses to control its pets.
“Raising awareness about dog bite prevention and how to protect our letter carriers as we deliver the mail is paramount,” Jamie Seavello, USPS acting employee safety and health awareness manager, says in a release. “Dogs are instinctive animals that may act to protect their turf and that why it’s important to inform the public about this campaign.”
That campaign is National Dog Bite Awareness Week, a public service campaign in which postal workers share information about dog ownership and safety. National Dog Bite Awareness Week runs through Friday, June 18.
USPS recommends the following tips for dog owners:
Dog owners are responsible for controlling their dogs. The best way to keep everyone safe from dog bites is to recognize and promote responsible pet ownership. Most people know the approximate time their letter carrier arrives every day and having their dog secured as the carrier approaches their property for delivery will minimize any dog carrier interactions.
Pet owners should:
- Remind their children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat.
- When a letter carrier comes to the home, keep dogs inside the house or behind a fence, away from the door or in another room, or on a leash.
Postal workers are trained to avoid and diffuse potentially dangerous situations with dogs, USPS says — they likely even have dog repellant with them. If a situation is unsafe, mail service may be interrupted, and medical expenses resulting from attacks could be costly to a canine’s guardians.
“I knocked on a customer’s door to pick up a package and as a young child answered, a dog came bursting out of the door and bit my forearm, knocking me to the ground ” says James Michael Benson, who delivers mail in Kansas. “I was in shock and struggling with the dog, when he lunged and bit me again on my face, under my ear.”
Read USPS’s full report on states and cities with the most dog attacks to mail carriers.
This article appears in Jun 1 – Jul 6, 2021.