Los Angeles District letter carriers are donning special T-shirts during a multi-pronged campaign to reduce dog attacks against USPS employees.
On Saturdays from June through August, carriers will wear shirts that read, “Help Us Deliver Safely” and “Any Dog Can Bite.”
The campaign also includes informational postcards that will be mailed to 150,000 households that are known to have dogs, a newsletter with dog bite prevention tips that will be mailed to employees’ homes, and special stand-up talks in USPS workplaces.
“[Our] letter carriers struggle with dog attacks and related injuries on a continuous basis,” said Los Angeles District Manager Ken Snavely. “We have spent significant time training carriers on defensive tactics and on improved communications that assist substitute carriers in identifying specific locations on the route that have dogs present.”
Approximately 60 USPS employees were attacked by dogs in Los Angeles last year, ranking the city second on the list of places with the most attacks. Houston ranked first with 75 attacks.
The Postal Service promotes dog bite awareness throughout the year, including National Dog Bite Prevention Week, an annual campaign each April. USPS areas and districts can also conduct their own programs.
In Los Angeles, employees said they hope the local campaign will help spark a conversation with the community about the problem of dog bites.
“The Postal Service is reaching out to the public … to make customers understand that dog bites are serious and to help ensure carriers are safe,” said Monica Metoyer, a carrier technician at Greenmead Station. “We need their help to restrain their pets.”