Daily printout: July 9

The Postal Service is using a recent dog attack to remind employees of the dangers posed by unsecured animals.

A rural carrier attempting to deliver a package to customer’s residence was bitten by a dog that was supposed to be contained by an electric fence and shock collar, but the dog was not wearing the collar.

The employee created a barrier by placing a package between themselves and the dog, but the dog was able to pull the package away and bite the carrier.

After returning to the delivery vehicle, the employee found the dog had punctured their right calf during the attack.

Here are some tips for preventing dog-related injuries:

• Never assume a dog is contained or restrained, even if the property has fencing or shock collars in use with the animal.

• Stay inside your vehicle when dogs are visible or barking, and do not attempt delivery until the animal is secured.

• Keep a safe distance from fences used to restrain a dog, as dogs can jump over them, slip through gaps or push past weak points.

• Back away slowly, maintain visual contact, and use a satchel and dog spray if a dog approaches, particularly in a hostile manner. Lastly, do not turn your back and run.

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At the Independence Post Office in Independence, MO, the Fourth of July is pretty much a year-round event.

“We keep the lobby a patriotic theme of red, white and blue,” Postmaster Jade Nevitt said.

The city is the location of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum as well as the 33rd president’s hometown and final resting place.

The Post Office, which can be found on the town square, is a tourist destination of its own, according to Nevitt, and gets “quite a bit of foot traffic.”

But this suburb of Kansas City, MO, isn’t the only city and Post Office with a patriotic name honoring the nation’s founding.

The nod to the Fourth can be found in towns and Post Offices in California, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oregon, Virginia and Wisconsin as well

Customers can visit Liberty Post Offices in towns of the same name in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.

The American ideal of freedom is honored by offices not only in Freedom, CA, but also in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

Other towns with patriotic monikers and Post Offices include American Fork, UT; American Falls, ID, Patriot, OH; and Eagle Pass, TX.

Many offices share the last name of Founding Father and first Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin, making Franklin one of the most common Post Office names in the country.

Customers seeking more postal-related patriotism are encouraged to visit any of the more than 60 Post Offices that were operating in 1776, the year of the nation’s independence, and that are still open today.

Many of these Post Offices will host community art displays, local stamp dedications and other events in conjunction with the nation’s 250th anniversary this year.

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The latest episode of “Mailin’ It!,” the USPS podcast, explores how stamps evolved from delivery receipts into reflections of the nation’s triumphs, struggles and evolving cultural identity.

The guest is Daniel Piazza, curator of philately at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.

The 29-minute episode was released July 8 and is available on Link and other postal websites, as well as most podcast platforms.