Postmaster Christi Davidson is urging residents in Marlin, TX to keep a close eye on their dogs.

According to Davidson, two local letter carriers have been bitten by dogs since April and there have been even more close encounters.

“Getting bitten by a dog has significantly impacted my work as a postman,” said Ronnie Medearis, a carrier who was bitten recently while delivering mail in Marlin.

Last year, more than 5,800 USPS employees were bitten by dogs – 411 of those were in Texas. The state ranked No. 2 in the nation for bites involving letter carriers.

“All it takes is one interaction with a dog for a letter carrier to possibly suffer an injury,” Davidson said. “When our carriers don’t feel safe delivering, it can cause us to hold mail at the Post Office in order to protect our employees.”

When a dog attacks a letter carrier, the dog owner could be held liable for all medical expenses, repayment of lost work hours, replacement of the uniform and other costs, which can run into thousands of dollars.

Davidson has four simple tips for Marlin residents to prevent dog bite injuries involving postal employees and help ensure safe and timely delivery of the mail:

Door Delivery: If a 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. Some dogs push through screen doors or plate-glass windows to attack visitors. Dog owners must keep the family pet secured. Never let your child take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet, as the dog may see this as a threatening gesture.

Restrain Your Dog: Carriers may assume, if they see no physical fence around a property, that the property is animal-free. This can be a dangerous mistake. Postal Service officials request that you keep your dog restrained or inside when the mail is delivered. Although the electronic fence may keep your dog from wandering, it does not protect your carrier, who must enter your property to deliver the mail. Even homes with curbside mailboxes may have oversized packages or signature-needed items that require the carrier to approach a doorstep and cross the boundaries of the electronic fence. This poses a serious risk to carrier safety.

Dog in the Yard: Make sure your dog is properly restrained on a leash and away from where your mail carrier delivers the mail. If the carrier deems a residence unsafe because of an unrestrained dog, mail delivery service can be interrupted. When service is interrupted at an address or in a neighborhood, all parties involved will have to pick up mail at their local Post Office. Service will be restored once assurance has been given that the animal will be confined during regular delivery hours.

Tracking: Dog owners who have access to postal notification features, such as Informed Delivery (informeddelivery.usps.com) for letter mail and package tracking, are urged to use these features to determine when the carrier is on their way and to ensure their dog has been properly restrained. Expecting a postal package delivery on Sunday? Postal officials urge dog owners to restrain their animals on Sundays as well, since more residences now receive deliveries throughout the weekend.

More information about preventing dog bite incidents is available in the May 30, 2024 edition of Postal Bulletin at https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2024/pb22651/pb22651.pdf.

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