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U.S. Postal Service workers face many challenges -- snow, rain, heat and gloom of night are just the beginning. This week, the USPS is recognizing National Dog Bite Awareness week, to remind residents it is their responsibility to prevent such a hindrance to mail delivery.
Ohio is third in the country for postal workers attacked by dogs in 2021. Of the 5,400 incidents nationwide, 359 workers were attacked or bitten by dogs in Ohio last year. In fact, Cleveland tops the nation, with Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, Akron and Youngstown all in the top 25.
"We do have some aggressive dogs in Ohio," Naddia Dhalai, USPS strategic communication specialist, told WYSO near Dayton.
Of course, Dhalai acknowledged "some dogs are very friendly," and plenty of mail carriers love the dogs on their routes. But "(We tell carriers) just to be aware of that and be cautious and not to pet a dog," she said.
Responsible dog owners know it is up to them to train or contain when it comes to dogs interacting with others. USPS officials are right to remind home owners to keep dogs inside the house or behind a fence away from the path to the mailbox. For deliveries that require interaction with the homeowner, dogs should be in another room, or at the very least kept away from the door. And when out and about, dogs should always be on a leash.
In many cases, these dogs may believe they are doing their jobs by keeping a stranger away from their homes and families. That's no excuse for letting postal carriers be attacked and/or bitten while they are also trying to do their jobs -- for us. Take whatever precautions are necessary to make sure both postal workers and your dogs are safe.