Dog attacks on mail carriers rise amid online sales boom
Dog attacks on mail carriers rise amid online sales boom
WASHINGTON — Letter carrier James Solomon thought he knew all the tricks to prevent a dog attack: watch the pet’s mannerisms, use the mail satchel as a shield, pull out the emergency dog spray — it contains an extract of cayenne pepper.
Booming online retail sales are good news for the U.S. Postal Service, but its carriers are incurring a cost: more dog bites.
Dog attacks on postal workers rose last year to 6,755, up 206 from the previous year and the highest in three decades, as internet shopping booms and consumers increasingly demand seven-day-a-week package delivery and groceries dropped at their doorstep.
A longtime cliche of movies, dog biting of mail carriers — or at least dog chasing — is no laughing matter for the post office.
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.