The United State Postal Service is kicking off its National Dog Bite Awareness campaign. The campaign will begin on June 2.
A media release from USPS reports incidents involving dog attacks on Postal Service employees rose to more than 5,800 cases last year.
This year’s theme is “Don’t let your dog bite the hand that serves you.” You can spread the news of the campaign with the hashtag #dogbiteawareness.
USPS says dog owners can help with safe mail delivery by securing your dog before the carrier approaches your property. dog owners are asked to keep dogs inside the home or behind a fence and on a leash.
According to National Dog Bite Rankings, in 2023 and 2024, Pennsylvania ranked in the top 10 states for dog bites, with 334 dog bites in 2023 and 313 bites in 2022.
Pet owners are also asked to remind children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child.
If a dog attack does happen at your home, an average insurance claim could cost $64,555. The owner could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering for the employee, USPS reports.
Letter carriers are trained to be alert for potentially dangerous conditions and to respect a dog’s territory.
The campaign runs through Sunday, June 9.
