Service Talk
To help make your neighborhood safe for the carrier, yourself, and other people, just remember these simple rules:
1. Find out what time the carrier usually brings your mail.
2. When the carrier is due to visit your house, check to be sure your dog is inside. Keep the dog inside until the letter carrier is gone.
3. If someone needs to open the door to sign for a letter, first put the dog in another room and close the door.
4. If you have a mail slot, keep your dog away from the slot so the carrier’s fingers don’t get bitten.
5. If your mailbox is inside your fenced yard, and your dog is too, keep the dog on a leash away from the mailbox during the time your letter carrier delivers the mail.
6. When your dog is outside, never walk up to the letter carrier and ask for your mail. Your dog may think you are being threatened.
7. If you see a dog running loose in your neighborhood, tell your parents or report it to the proper authorities.
8. Never, ever approach a strange dog. Remember, no owner, no petting. Only approach a dog that is on a leash with his owner, and follow the steps of WAIT, as described here.
9. When a strange dog comes near you, be BORING! Stand like a tree, or if you are on the ground, curl up your legs, cup your hands over your ears and lay still like a rock!
10. Don’t go near a dog that is in a car, behind a fence, or tied up — even if you know him.
Below is a story from a young girl who shares her experience with others:
A 15-year-old girl from Palatine, Illinois, tells it better than anyone. Kelly Voigt was bitten by a neighborhood dog at the age of seven. The dog attack left Kelly Voigt with approximately 100 stitches in her face and a fear of being outdoors. This brutal attack caused so much pain and suffering that a few months later she was treated by a psychologist for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
This young girl gained national attention after taking advice from her psychologist to use her experience to help others. Kelly started a nonprofit organization called Prevent the Bite with her mother, Kathy, and Nancy Skeffington, a school psychologist and animal-assisted therapist, and is using her experience to educate other children and adults on how to avoid such brutal attacks.
Part of their program includes the acronym WAIT, which is used to pet a dog on a leash with his owner. WAIT stands for:
W – Wait to see if the dog looks friendly. If the dog looks afraid or angry, STOP and walk away slowly.
A – Ask the owner for permission to pet the dog. If the owner says no, STOP and walk away slowly.
I – Invite the dog to come to you to sniff you. Put your hand to your side with your fingers curled in. Stand slightly sideways and dip your head down so you are not looking directly at the dog. If the dog does not come over to sniff you, STOP and do not touch him.
T – Touch the dog gently to pet, and do so away from the head and tail.
The diagram below includes Kelly’s message and safety tips. For additional information on Prevent the Bite and efforts to help others, visit www.preventthebite.org.
