Rates of dogs biting local postal carriers increasing
How often do mail carriers get bitten by dogs on the job? As part of National Dog Bite Prevention Week — KIFI/KIDK wanted to look into this. It turns out in Idaho, the number of bites is increasing. It more than doubled last year.
“The community overall is pretty good, but there are some that think it’s kind of cute. You know, the dog is coming after you, but they don’t realize that they are really trying to do harm to you — physical harm. So it should be taken more serious,” said Jack Barton, a USPS carrier in Idaho Falls.
“Even a well-behaved, very nice dog that sees a bunch of kids come down the street, you know and thinks, ‘Oh it’s kids! I want to go play!’ and goes bounding up to these kids — it can be very scary for the kids. And they don’t know that this is a nice dog,” said Irene Brown, the Idaho Falls Animal Services manager.
That goes for kids and adults — especially mail carriers. Dogs can get excited once their eyes lock in on someone getting close.
“I don’t want to get hurt or even if it’s a little dog — I don’t want to hurt the dog. So I don’t take the chances. People get mad when you shoo their dog away from you, you know? But if there are big dogs, I don’t take the chance at all,” Barton said.
Dog bites to southern Idaho mail carriers more than doubled last year. According to the United States Postal Service, Boise and Idaho Falls had the highest rate of dog bites and the biggest increases in the state.
“It’s really, really important that you do not let your dog outside unconfined without you there. You just never know what is going to set a dog off,” Brown said.
Leash laws need to be taken seriously — as well as simply monitoring your dog. A Dog-At-Large is a misdemeanor. It could cost you a $1,000 fine and possible jail time.
“Well, you know that situation down in Fort Hall? You know, and you just never know how dogs are going to act around people — especially they’re different with people in uniforms. They act different. They’re territorial. They want to protect,” Barton said, referring to a dog biting a child last month in Fort Hall.
Here are some tips from USPS:
If a carrier delivers certified mail to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close the door — before opening the front door. Dogs can burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to get to strangers. The postal service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. If a carrier feels threatened by a dog, the owner may be asked to pick up the mail at the post office. Educate children who answer the door. Dog owners should remind their children about the need to keep the family dog secured.
