USPS asks dog owners to help prevent attacks

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - To ensure the safety of delivery personnel, the United States Postal Service is asking dog owners to keep their animals secured when deliveries are being made.

The Postal Service offers the following safety tips for dog owners:

• When a 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 children and other family members not to take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet. The dog may view the carrier handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.
• If a 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 or other facility until the 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 at the area’s Post Office.

"One bite is one too many. When your mail carrier arrives, make sure your dog is properly restrained or…better yet…just moved inside and secured."