IOWA — Can you picture a member of your family attacking a mail carrier? Of course not, but Iowa mail carriers have been bitten 40 times so far this year while delivering mail to the communities they serve.

The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. In addition to training and coaching employees on dog bite prevention, Postal employees need the help of their customers to continue to safely deliver the mail.

“Last year, Iowa letter carriers were bitten 80 times while delivering the mail to customers on their routes,” said Nicole Hill, Strategic Communications Specialist. “With 40 dog bite incidents so far this year, they need your help to stay safe and prevent more injuries.”

Dog attacks and bites are 100 percent preventable when dog owners remain vigilant and properly restrain their dogs.

“Our carriers practice safe habits like rattling the fences before entering yards and placing dog alert notifications within their mail and on their scanners,” said Hill. While Iowans hunker down and spend more time at home because of the pandemic, there are many more opportunities for pets to be out during the day.

To ensure mail carriers’ safety, USPS asks that residents keep their dogs in another room until a delivery exchange is done. If a dog is outside, the dog must be leashed away from the mailbox.

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 will have to be picked up at the Post Office and service will not be restored until the dog is properly restrained.

With your help, we can keep our carriers, your neighbors and your dogs safe. Thank you for protecting your pet, and our mail carriers, as we continue to bring packages and other important correspondence to your door each day.

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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