Nearly 6,000 USPS postal workers were bitten by dogs throughout the country last year, now, the company is trying to make a change and bring awareness.
The organization is launching a campaign this weekend to help keep their mail carriers safe from dog attacks. The goal is to encourage responsible pet ownership.
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WATCH HEREThe campaign kicks off Sunday and this year's theme is "Don’t let your dog bite the hand that serves you.”
Philadelphia ranked 9th among cities with the most dog attacks on mail carriers last year, with 34 confirmed incidents.
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SIGN UP Pennsylvania ranked 4th among states with 334 attacks last year, which is up from 313 attacks in 2022.
“Letter carriers are exposed to potential hazards every day, none more prevalent than a canine encounter. All it takes is one interaction for a letter carrier to possibly suffer an injury,” said Leeann Theriault, USPS Manager, Employee Safety and Health Awareness. “The U.S. Postal Service consistently encourages responsible pet ownership. The national dog bite campaign is an effort to promote dog bite awareness to keep our customers, their dogs, and letter carriers safe while delivering the mail.”
What can I do to prevent my dog from attacking mail carriers?
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The postal service recommends that you keep your pet inside the house, behind a fence, place them in another room, or have them on a leash when you know a mail carrier will be approaching your property
Pet owners are also reminded not to allow children to take mail directly from a mail carrier because many dogs might view that carrier as a threat to the child.
You can also sign up for informed delivery so that you can digitally preview incoming mail and packages. This way you can anticipate when your mail carrier will arrive.
USPS noted that if a carrier feels unsafe, mail service can be stopped until they feel safe enough to deliver. If the situation continues to be unsafe, some delivers will be returned to the local Post Office for pickup.
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