June 14 marks the beginning of U.S. Postal Service’s National Dog Bite Awareness Week with the theme “Be Alert: Prevent the Bite.” This campaign efforts to decrease dog attacks on more than 80,000 USPS employees delivering mails by emphasizing responsible pet ownership and educate the community on how they play an important role in their safety.
In 2019, 5,803 dog attacks on mail carriers were recorded, 200+ less than the 2018 records and lesser by more than 400 than the 2017 records. In South Florida alone, with its nine counties, a record of 74 carriers were attacked from October 2018 to September 2019 and 38 recorded from October 2019, to date.
According to Postal Service’s safety awareness program manager Chris Johnson, their customer and employee outreach program on dog bite safety and their use of digital tools are effective resulting to the continuous decline on dog attacks.
In recent years the Postal Service employed the use of Mobile Delivery Device (a handheld scanner couriers use to confirm delivery which now incorporates a feature that indicates the presence of a dog at customer’s address), and Informed Delivery (a digital feature that prompts customers of mails and packages scheduled to arrive soon to their homes).
The organization also offers safety training for employees and reminds their carriers to complete dog warning cards for residences with dogs and to always carry authorized dog repellent.
Included in this year’s outreach program are press releases, social media promotion, and radio broadcasts.
Source: Lake Okeechobee News, & USPS