What:

It’s never too late to teach a dog a new trick. While dogs may not understand social distancing, it is critical they know how to stay sheltered in place as carriers make deliveries to residences and businesses in your neighborhood.

Encino reported 34 attacks in the last 5 years. Nationwide, more than 5,800 postal employees were attacked last year.

To emphasize the seriousness of this issue, USPS is sponsoring Dog Bite Awareness Week, June 2-9 with the theme: “Don’t let your dog bite the hand that serves you.”

To tell the story locally, the Encino Post Office is inviting media to interview and follow a letter carrier on their route for a first-hand look at hazards encountered every day and attend a Press Conference.

Also available will be a local animal control officer and a USPS Safety official to provide perspective and information.

USPS also will provide the media information on dog bite prevention measures it is taking, and tips for responsible pet owners.

When:

Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at 10:00 am

Where:

Libbit Park, 5101 Libbit Avenue, Encino, CA 91436

Who:

Encino Letter Carrier Yohanna Hommes
Encino Postmaster Viral Dalal
Encino USPS Safety Ambassador Jamie Wright

RSVP:

To obtain final address and event confirmation RSVP, please contact USPS Safety Engagement Leader Jamie Wright: Jamie.e.Wright@usps.gov

Background:

Dog Owners Can Help With Safe Mail Delivery

Letter carriers know all dogs can bite, even those perceived as nonaggressive. Dogs are generally protective of their turf and dog owners have an important responsibility to control them to ensure safe mail delivery.

Most people know the approximate time their letter carrier arrives every day. Securing your dog before the carrier approaches your property will minimize any potentially dangerous interactions.

When a letter carrier comes to your home, keep dogs:

• Inside the house or behind a fence;
• Away from the door or in another room; or
• On a leash.

Pet owners also should remind children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child.

Stay Informed, See the Mail Before It Arrives

By using Informed Delivery, a free USPS service, customers can digitally preview incoming mail and packages from a computer, tablet or mobile device. More than 52 million customers have enrolled since the service was launched in 2017. Sign up is at informeddelivery.usps.com. This service can help dog owners anticipate when their carrier will arrive.

Consequences of a Dog Attack

According to the most recent information available from the Insurance Information Institute, the average cost per insurance claim for a dog bite is $64,555. When a postal employee suffers an injury, the owner could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering for the employee.

Staying Focused on Delivering

Letter carriers are trained to observe an area where they know dogs may be present. They are taught to be alert for potentially dangerous conditions and to respect a dog’s territory.

Letter carriers are trained to:

• Make a non-threatening noise or rattle a fence to alert a dog if entering a yard;
• Never startle a dog;
• Keep their eyes on any dog;
• Never assume a dog will not bite;
• Never attempt to pet or feed a dog; and
• Place their foot against an outward swinging door to prevent a dog from escaping.

If a dog attacks, carriers are also trained to stand their ground and protect their body by placing something between them and the dog — such as a mail satchel — and to use dog repellent, if necessary.

“Even though a customer’s dog is friendly to most people, it can always have a bad day,” said letter carrier Tara Snyder. “I know, from experience, even when a dog is in the house, customers need to make sure their door is secure so their dog can’t push it open and bite the letter carrier.”

Letter carriers have tools to alert them to dogs on their routes. A dog alert feature on carriers’ handheld scanners can remind them of a possible dog hazard, and dog warning cards must be used during mail sorting to alert carriers to addresses where a dog may interfere with delivery.

Holding the Mail

When a carrier feels unsafe, mail service can be stopped. Until the carrier feels safe enough to restart delivery, the mail will have to be picked up at the dog owner’s local Post Office. If a carrier feels a house or neighborhood is unsafe to deliver the mail and there is no way to inform residents their mail service has been suspended, the residents would have to contact the supervisor at their local Post Office for more information. The residents would also have to pick up their mail at the Post Office until it is safe to resume delivery. If a dangerous dog issue is not resolved, owners can be required to rent a Post Office box to receive mail.

2023 Dog Attack Rankings by City

The top 20 ranking consists of 30 cities, as some cities reported the same number of attacks.

2023 Dog Attack Rankings by City

Calendar Year 2023
City	State	2023	Rank
LOS ANGELES	CA	65	1
HOUSTON	TX	56	2
CHICAGO	IL	48	3
ST. LOUIS	MO	46	4
CLEVELAND	OH	44	5
SAN DIEGO	CA	41	6
DALLAS	TX	39	7
CINCINNATI	OH	38	8
PHILADELPHIA	PA	34	9
COLUMBUS	OH	33	10
KANSAS CITY	MO	32	11
INDIANAPOLIS	IN	30	12
MEMPHIS	TN	29	13
LOUISVILLE	KY	28	14
MINNEAPOLIS	MN	27	15
ALBUQUERQUE	NM	26	16
SAN ANTONIO	TX	26	16
SACRAMENTO	CA	26	16
MILWAUKEE	WI	23	17
DAYTON	OH	23	17
FORT WORTH	TX	23	17
MIAMI	FL	21	18
DENVER	CO	21	18
OMAHA	NE	21	18
BUFFALO	NY	20	19
SAN FRANCISCO	CA	20	19
LONG BEACH	CA	19	20
TULSA	OK	19	20
PORTLAND	OR	19	20
DETROIT	MI	19	20

Top 10 Dog Bite States:

Top 10 Dog Bite States

State	2023	2022
CA	727	675
TX	411	404
OH	359	311
PA	334	313
IL	316	245
NY	296	321
FL	193	220
NC	185	146
MI	183	206
MO	180	166

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