WICHITA, Kan. — A famous tall tale often heard by letter carriers is "don't worry, my dog won't bite." Many of the more than three thousand plus postal employees attacked last year were bitten by pets that broke loose from their owner's grip to jump through screen or glass doors.

Larry Ryan knows that all too well. The 12-year Letter Carrier at Wichita's River City Station was attacked by a Pit Bull that jumped over a fence on his route last year, a week before Thanksgiving. Ryan was mauled for several minutes by the dog as its owner beat it with a rake to finally get it off Ryan. Ryan suffered wounds and lacerations to his arm, fingers and thigh. He received 27 double stitches to close the wound to his right arm. Ryan was on limited duty restrictions for over three months and still suffers the lingering effects of the attack which left nerve damage in his arm and swelling in his leg.

"I couldn't sleep for a long time after the attack," recalled Ryan. "Even now, my head swivels if I hear a sound. Even dogs that I know are friendly worry me. You just never know."

As part of its messaging to kick off National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 19-26, the Postal Service is asking customers to place their pets in a separate room and close the door before accepting mail at their front door.

"Dogs are protective in nature and may perceive a letter carrier handing mail to its owner as a threat," said Wichita Postmaster Mark Talbott. "For the same reason, the Postal Service asks parents to instruct their children to refrain from collecting mail from letter carriers in the presence of their pet. And with children being home from school for summer vacation, please make sure that dogs are kept behind a fence with the gates closed."

Following are USPS national dog bite statistics from fiscal years 2001 to 2006:

Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Bites	3,158	3,070	3,743	3,429	3,273	3,184

In 2006, Wichita Letter Carriers suffered 13 dog bites; and 8 have been bitten so far in 2007.

The USPS is offering these tips to dog owners:

How to Be a Responsible Dog Owner

• Obedience training can teach dogs proper behavior and help owners control their dog in any situation.
• When a letter 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 letter carrier in the presence of your dog. Your dog's instinct is to protect the family.
• Spay or neuter your dog. Neutered dogs are less likely to bite. Humane Society of the United States statistics reflect that dogs that have not been spayed or neutered are up to three times more likely to be involved in a biting incident than neutered or spayed dogs.
• Dogs that haven't been properly socialized, receive little attention or handling, or are left tied up for long periods of time frequently turn into biters.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to cover its operating expenses. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $73 billion and delivers nearly half the world's mail volume.

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