OKLAHOMA – Can you picture a member of your family attacking a mail carrier? Of course not, but it happened over 5,800 times last year across the nation.

More than 5,800 postal employees were attacked by dogs in the United States in 2020. To highlight the enormity of this serious issue, the U.S. Postal Service is providing the public with information on the do’s and don’ts of responsible dog ownership as part of its annual National Dog Bite Awareness Week public service campaign. The campaign runs Saturday, June 12 through Friday, June 18. This year’s theme is “Be Aware: Any Dog Can Bite.”

From nips and bites to vicious attacks, aggressive dog behavior poses a serious threat to postal employees and the general public. When a dog attacks a letter carrier, the dog owner could be held liable for all medical expenses, repayment of lost work hours, replacement of uniform and other costs, which can run into thousands of dollars. The Postal Service places safety of its employees as a top priority and dedicates a week each year to Dog Bite Awareness.

Prevent the bite

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. Here are four simple tips to prevent dog bite injuries that should be enforced all year round:

• Door Delivery: If a carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. Some dogs burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to attack visitors. Dog owners should keep the family pet secured. Parents should remind their children and other family members not to take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet, as the dog may view the person handing the mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.

• Electronic Fencing: Carriers may assume, when they see no physical fence around a property, the property is animal-free. This can be a dangerous mistake. Postal Service officials request that you keep your dog restrained or inside when the mail is delivered. Although the electronic fence may keep your dog from wandering, it does not protect your Postal Service carrier, who must enter your property to deliver the mail. Even homes with curbside mailboxes may have oversize packages or signatureneeded items that require the carrier to approach a doorstep and cross the boundaries of the electronic fence. This poses a serious risk to carrier safety.

• Dog in Yard: Make sure your dog is properly restrained on a leash away from where your mail carrier is delivering the mail. Mail delivery service can be interrupted at an address or neighborhood the carrier deems unsafe because of an unrestrained dog. When service is interrupted at an address or neighborhood, all parties involved will have to pick mail up at their local Post Office. Service will be restored once assurance has been given that the animal will be confined during regular delivery hours.

• Tracking: Dog owners who have access to postal features, such as Informed Delivery notifications (informeddelivery.usps.com) for letter mail and package tracking, are urged to use this as a way to gauge when the carrier is on their way and to ensure dogs are properly restrained. Expecting a postal package delivery on Sunday? Postal Service officials urge dog owners to restrain their animals on Sundays as well, as more residences are receiving deliveries throughout the weekend.

Carriers do have tools to remind them about dogs on their routes. There is a dog alert feature tool on their handheld scanners to remind them of a possible dog hazard and they use dog warning cards as reminders when they sort their mail for their routes that a dog that may interfere with delivery.

Lastly, when a carrier feels unsafe, mail service could be interrupted, not only for the dog owner, but for the entire neighborhood. When mail service is interrupted, mail must be picked up at the Post Office. Service will not be restored until the dog is properly restrained.