BAKERSFIELD, CA — 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. Unfortunately, the above picture is a constant reality plaguing postal letter carriers.

Nationwide, 5,800 postal employees were attacked last year, but that pales in comparison to the 4.5 million Americans attacked each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority of victims are small children, the elderly and Postal Service carriers – in that order – are the most frequent victims. This is a Public Health issue that can no longer be ignored.

The Postal Service is pleading with customers to adhere to the following safety tips to ensure the safety of our letter carriers and the American public.

• Please keep your dog restrained during mail delivery hours.
• When a letter carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close the door before opening the front door. Dogs have been known to burst through screen doors or plate glass windows to attack visitors.
• Parents should remind children and other family members not to take mail directly from letter carriers in the presence of the family pet. The dog may view the letter carrier handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.
• If a letter carrier feels threatened by a dog, or if a dog is loose or unleashed, the owner may be asked to pick up mail at a Post Office or another facility until the letter carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If the dog is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner’s neighbors also may be asked to pick up their mail at the area’s Post Office.

In the past five years, dog bites have plagued the men and women who carry mail in Bakersfield. There have been 34 dog attacks to postal employees during that time. The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority, we are urging the public to now do the same.

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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