The U.S. postal workers are facing the brunt of rising dog attacks while on duty. At the customer's doorsteps, they are bitten and chased by dogs, often leading to biting injuries, sprained ankles, and broken legs.
Now the list of top 5 cities where dog scare is maximum has been published.
According to the annual Dog Attack City Rankings, released on the occasion of the National Dog Bite Prevention Week, many U.S. cities are seeing a surge in dog attacks on postal workers.
The numbers are staggeringly up. There were 6,755 attacks in 2016. Among the 30 cities, Los Angeles tops the chart with 80 dog attacks. In Southern California, dog menace is severe in San Diego with 57 attacks and Long Beach with 22 attacks recorded.
In some areas, scared postal workers are carrying scanners that confirm delivery with alerts to carriers about dogs at customers' residences.
Dog Attacks In Top Cities
The top 5 cities where dog attacks on postal workers at the maximum were Houston, Cleveland, San Diego, and Louisville, Kentucky. In 2016, Los Angeles took over from Houston the top slot. The data was based on workers' report to local postal service offices.
According to experts, the surge in dog attacks relates to the growing population in larger cities along with an explosion in the pet population.
How To Prevent Dog Bites?
"Dog bite prevention training and continuing education are important to keep pet owners, pets and those who visit homes — like letter carriers — happy and healthy," said U.S. Postal Service Safety Director Linda DeCarlo.
To safeguard postal workers from dogs, DeCarlo advised a separate room for dogs where they can be shut before the house owner can pick the mail from the carrier.
She also advised children and family members not to take mail from a carrier in front of the pet, as it will confuse the dog and feel threatened.
The postal service is also taking casual dog owners to task. In case a carrier is feeling threatened by an unbridled dog, the owner will be forced to pick up his mail from the post office.
Pet Owners Urged To Secure Dogs
The U.S. Postal Service has urged pet owners to tether dogs before opening the main door for postal workers.
Doug Kyle, an official with the U.S. Postal Service at the office in Jackson, took a dig at the dog owners.
According to Kyle, before an incident, owners will say the dogs would never hurt, and when an incident happens, the excuse becomes "I never thought my dog would do that."
Why Does Dog Bite?
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said 4.5 million dog bites are reported in the U.S annually, in which one in five may become infectious
"When dogs tend to bite, it's mostly because they're fearful or they're cornered," said Melissa Bain, an associate professor at the Davis School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California.
The CDC data also revealed the vulnerability of children to dog bites. The rate of dog-bite injuries is highest for children in the age group of 5 and 9, and the attacking dogs are mostly familiar and the bites are mostly happening at home.
