Postal workers in Alabama had 70 incidents with dogs in 2021

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — This week, the US Postal Service is elevating consciousness round postal employees who’re bitten by canines.

Sunday started USPS Canine Chew Consciousness Week, in accordance with a launch by the postal service. In 2021, the company mentioned, greater than 5,400 postal workers had been attacked by canines in the US. The theme of this yr’s consciousness week is “The USPS delivers for America — ship for us by restraining your canine,” the discharge mentioned.

“From nips and bites to vicious assaults, aggressive canine conduct poses a critical menace to our postal workers who’re delivering for America,” Alabama-Mississippi District Supervisor June Martindale mentioned.

Knowledge supplied to CBS 42 by USPS exhibits that in 2021, Alabama was in the course of the pack with regards to the variety of canine incidents with postal employees. Final yr, the state was twenty fourth within the variety of canine incidents with 70, the information exhibits.

Birmingham accounted for 10 of these incidents, in accordance with the information. Cities with an analogous variety of canine incidents embody Canton, Fresno, Grand Rapids, Portland, and Tulsa.

Cleveland had the best variety of canine incidents in 2021, with 58. Shut behind had been Houston (54) Kansas Metropolis, Missouri (48), and Los Angeles (44).

USPS mentioned that letter carriers are educated to not startle canines, keep attentive, and by no means assume a canine received’t chew.

“Though we ask our clients’ cooperation in controlling their canines, sadly, canine bites nonetheless occur,” mentioned Martindale. “This will likely lead to accidents to our carriers and expensive medical bills for canine house owners. Please heed finest practices to assist cease canine bites and defend your letter service.”

USPS additionally mentioned that carriers have instruments that may assist keep away from canine bites, together with a “canine alert characteristic” on their handheld scanners and canine warning playing cards as reminders once they type their mail for his or her routes.

If a service’s security is in peril, although, postal officers mentioned that the presence of an aggressive canine can result in a halt in mail service.

“When a service feels unsafe, mail serviced might be halted — not just for the canine proprietor, however for a block or a complete neighborhood,” the USPS mentioned within the launch. “When mail service is suspended, clients should choose up their mail at their native Submit Workplace. Supply shall be restored when the canine is correctly restrained.”