A local mail carrier, Isaac Riley, started working for the United States Postal Service over 40 years ago. He has driven over one million miles and has had his fair share of, ahem, memorable moments while on the job.
“Sometimes, you’ve got to help kids stuck in trees. I’ve done that,” Riley said. “(One little boy) got stuck in a tree by a (local elementary school), and this is before cell phones, and his head was stuck between two branches. His butt was sticking out, so he was lunch meat for dogs.”
He assessed the situation.
“I said, ‘What are you doing? How did this happen,’” Riley laughed.
Riley said he reassured the boy that he would stay with him until the fire department could come. Luckily, that boy, who is now a man, has since been released from the shackles of those tree branches that once held him hostage.
“He’s got seven kids, telling all of his kids the same story,” Riley said.
But do not be mistaken, that is not the only kind of snafu that a mail carrier can encounter. On a more serious note, dogs are a meaningful safety consideration. This concern inspired National Dog Bite Awareness Week, a campaign sponsored by the United States Postal Service.
“A recent report named California as first in the country for dog bites, with over 727 incidents in 2023. Nationwide, there were more than 5,800 incidents involving dogs and mail carriers last year,” according to a media advisory.
One thing about dogs is that they will see a mail carrier before the family members see you, according to Riley.
“They’re going to come for you, before somebody realizes that they’re already in motion, and kids have the tendency to open up the door and here comes two boxers, you know,” Riley said. “So you’ve just got to be aware of your environment.”
One time, a pit bull grabbed Riley by his calf.
“And he just held me there for a few seconds, like, I could have got you; I don’t know why I didn’t get you, but anyway – I could have got you,” Riley said.
A different time, Riley said that he experienced an actual bite by a dalmatian.
“He was right there on my leg,” Riley said. “And boy did it hurt.”
Due to this occupational risk, the Marysville Post Office held a meeting Wednesday about safety around dogs.
The meeting stressed the importance of mail carriers being alert and observant. They were advised to protect themselves and not to assume that a dog will not bite, even if it has been friendly in the past.
Madison Trujillo, an animal control officer for Yuba County who spoke at the meeting, said that most of the time, the dogs are more afraid of you than you are of them.
“So if a dog is coming toward you running at you, obviously, like kind of like if you see a bear and you want them to get away from you, you need to act like you are the bigger person, even though some of these dogs are very scary,” Trujillo said.
There are also tips for dog owners.
“Securing your dog before the carrier approaches your property will minimize any potentially dangerous interactions,” a media advisory said. “Pet owners also should remind children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child.”
