What:

Many mail carriers in Denver have encountered a threatening dog, but none more the carriers out of Westwood Station. Nearly every carrier in that office has met a dangerous animal on their route. Injuries including broken skin on legs, multiple lacerations and even a lost finger to a dog.

A visual will be provided with carriers who have been bitten standing in a “chorus line”, shoulder-to-shoulder asking the community to help secure their animals.

Additionally, a USPS letter carrier will be made available on his route in a portion of town that has a history of dog attacks. The carrier, who has been attacked himself, will be available to talk about his experience with dogs while on their routes and give consumer information on how to keep your dog from attacking delivery drivers, paper deliveries, service personnel and children.

The city of Denver, CO, is among the nation’s worst with 73 dog attacks on letter carriers over the last two years.  The Carriers out of Westwood Station alone had 12 attacks during the same period.

During the same period, carriers in the State of Colorado had 269 dog attacks. The trend this year is slightly better, but more than 80 carriers have already been attacked in Colorado this year.

Who:

A letter carrier out of Westwood Station who has several dog incidents and will offer great advice for preventing a dog incident in your home.

Denver Postmaster Lora McLucas will speak about what training employees are provided and what defensive measure they take.

When:

July 9 at 9:30 a.m.

Where:

Westwood Post Office Station, 4259 W Florida Ave

Background:

There’s a myth we often hear at the Postal Service: Don’t worry, my dog won’t bite,” said Denver Postmaster Lora McLucas. “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 prevention tips during National Dog Bite Prevention Week.

Please share the following tips when reporting on this critical issue:

1. 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.
2. 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 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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