INDIANAPOLIS, IN – An Indianapolis letter carrier recently lost the top of his finger when he was bitten by a dog as he delivered mail on his route. Another carrier was attacked by three dogs at once, and a Mooresville letter carrier broke her back when a loose dog lunged at her knocking her to the ground.

To kick off National Dog Bite Prevention Week — May 16-22 — the Postal Service recently released the top 30 dog attack rankings for 2014. Indianapolis was the 14th worst in the nation with 27 employees attacked by dogs last year.

To highlight the seriousness of dog attacks not only to letter carriers but to the public in general, the Postal Service has organized a Dog Bite Prevention Awareness event at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20 at Speedway Post Office, 6110 W. 25th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46224-9998. Speaking at the event will be Indianapolis Humane Society Director of Canine Training Connie Swaim, members of the Animal Control team from Indianapolis Animal Care & Control, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, several letter carriers who will share their experiences of dog attacks and USPS officials.

“There’s a myth we often hear at the Postal Service — my dog won’t bite,” said Greater Indiana District Safety Manager Sheila Helmold. “Dog attacks are a nationwide issue and not just a postal problem. Any dog can bite and all attacks are preventable through responsible pet ownership.”

Of the 4.5 million Americans bitten by dogs annually, half of all victims are children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Postal Service, the medical community, veterinarians and the insurance industry are working together to educate the public that dog bites are avoidable by providing the following prevention tips during National Dog Bite Prevention Week.

• If a letter 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. Dogs have been known to burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to get at strangers.
• Dog owners should remind their children about the need to keep the family dog secured. Parents should remind their children not to take mail directly from letter carriers in the presence of the family pet as the dog may view the letter carrier handing mail to a child as a threatening gesture.

The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. If a letter carrier feels threatened by a vicious dog or if a dog is running loose, the owner may be asked to pick up the mail at the Post Office until the carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If the dog is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner’s neighbors may be asked to pick up their mail at the Post Office as well.

The Postal Service; the American Humane Association (AHA) americanhumane.org; the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM), microsurg.org; the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), avma.org; the Insurance Information Institute (III), iii.org; State Farm Insurance, statefarm.com; and Prevent The Bite (PTB), preventthebite.org, are driving home the message that dog bites are a nationwide issue and that education can help prevent dog attacks to people of all ages.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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