Show Your Carrier Some Love

National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 18-24

Dog owners in Wichita are being asked to show their letter carriers some love by making sure their pets are in separate rooms with closed doors before accepting mail from a carrier at their front doors. That’s one of the key messages as the Postal Service launches National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 18-24.

Last year, 14 Wichita letter carriers were either bitten by dogs or suffered an injury because of a dog attack while delivering the mail.

“One bite is too many,” said Wichita Postmaster Mark Talbott. “We’re asking pet owners to please restrain their dogs and allow their carriers to deliver the mail safely.”

Nationwide more than 3,000 city and rural carriers were attacked by dogs last year, 63 fewer than the previous year thanks to aggressive community outreach efforts. On average, 10 letter carriers a day are attacked by dogs in the United States.

“Dogs are protective and they may perceive letter carriers handing mail to their owners as a threat,” said Talbott. “For the same reason, we also ask parents to make sure their children don’t collect mail from our carriers in the presence of their pets. Employee and customer safety is always our number-one concern.”

The USPS is offering these tips for avoiding dog bites.

How 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.
• While letter carriers are prohibited from petting animals, people who choose to pet dogs should always let a dog see and sniff them before petting the animal.
• If you believe a dog is about to attack you, try to place something between you and the dog, such as a purse, a backpack or a bicycle.

How to Be a Responsible Dog Owner

• Obedience training can teach dog’s proper behavior and help owners control their dogs.
• 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.
• Spay or neuter your dog. Neutered dogs are less likely to bite. Humane Society statistics show that dogs that have not been spayed or neutered are up to three times more likely to bite.
• Dogs that receive little attention or handling, or are left tied up for long periods of time frequently turn into biters.

Additional information is available through the Humane Society of the United States at www.hsus.org, and the Prevent the Bite program at www.preventthebite.org.