Washington – More than 5,600 mail carriers were victims last year of dog attacks, a widespread problem that cost the U.S. Postal Service nearly $1.2 million in medical expenses, the government said Thursday.
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Houston and other warmer cities were most often the site of dog attacks, although letter carriers were bitten in more than 1,400 cities around the country.
The Postal Service released the numbers in advance of annual dog bite prevention week, which begins next week. Its goal is to try and reduce the number of dog attacks, both on mail carriers and in the general population. Last year more than 4.7 million Americans were bitten, most of them children.
“Dog attacks are a nationwide issue and not just a postal problem,” said Matthew Lopez, Houston postmaster. “Working with animal behavior experts, we’ve developed tips to avoid dog attacks and, for dog owners, tips for practicing responsible pet ownership.”
According to the Postal Service, the top cities for dog attacks after Houston are Columbus, Ohio; San Diego, Calif.; Los Angeles; Louisville, Ky.; San Antonio, Texas; St. Louis, Mo.; Cleveland; Phoenix; Minneapolis; Portland, Ore.; Denver; Philadelphia; Sacramento, Calif.; and Seattle.
Tips from the post office to avoid being bitten:
—Don’t run past a dog. The dog’s natural instinct is to chase and catch prey.
—If a dog threatens you, don’t scream. Avoid eye contact. Try to remain motionless until the dog leaves, then back away slowly until the dog is out of sight.
—Don’t approach a strange dog, especially one that’s tethered or confined.
—If you believe a dog is about to attack, try to place something between yourself and the dog, such as a backpack or a bicycle.
And for dog owners:
—When a carrier comes to your home, keep your dog inside, away from the door, in another room.
—Don’t let your child take mail from the carrier in the presence of your dog. Your dog’s instinct is to protect the family.
as a dog owner I say make the dog owner pay fine the owner and if it happens again take the dog away
1400 cities, 5600 biting incidents…. On average that’s 4 per city per year. It’s not a good thing, but the numbers aren’t shocking all things considered.
I’m also a little skeptical for personal reasons. I once found the local post office had reported my dog as being aggressive, threatening a mail carrier and running loose. The day it was supposed to have happened – signed and attested to by the supervisor – I was having cancer surgery. My wife was waiting for me in the hospital. The dog was locked up in our bedroom in the house.
Hey!
I thought “dog bites man” is no longer newsworthy, only “man bites dog”. Have we regressed?
Unfortunately not, there are dogs in our bldg that run loose. No leash!! The landlord ordered one tenant to muzzle her dog after biting people several times and sending lawyers letters, no go!!! The dog is without a muzzle, and still here. The police say not to call them because when they came they bit the policeman. They say call the SPCA!! You cannot win!! The dog always does!!
Dogs don’t belong in cities! In rural areas where dogs belong the mail carrier drives up top the mail box and never leaves his vehicle.
Why doesn’t the Post office sue the dog owners for the losses? If dog owners had to pay out of pocket or higher insurance, they would be more careful.
To # 6 You are right!! 101%!!!
To #9 Then they could sue me!!