Prevent dog attacks
In April, the United States Postal Service promoted National Dog Bite Prevention Week. I am writing to ask our customers to extend their efforts to help make this “National Dog Bite Prevention Year.”
The efforts of pet owners are critical when you consider the number of Postal Service employees attacked by dogs last year reached 6,755, more than 200 more than the year before. Within the Washington, Amity and Prosperity post offices, there have been no dog attacks since the beginning of the year.
My concern is not only for our employees, but with the general population as well. Here are three critical points to remember:
• 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 attack visitors.
• Parents should remind their children and other family members 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 family member as a threatening gesture.
• The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. If a letter carrier feels threatened by a dog, or if a dog is loose or unleashed, the owner may be asked to pick up mail at a post office until the letter carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If the dog is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner’s neighbors also may be asked to pick up their mail.
Pet owners should act responsibly in the coming summer in order to ensure the safety of everyone. Together, we can safeguard everyone from unnecessary and potentially devastating dog attacks.
James L. Goodwill
Washington
Goodwill is the postmaster at the Washington Post Office.