{"id":18975,"date":"2017-04-06T19:09:00","date_gmt":"2017-04-07T00:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/?p=18975"},"modified":"2017-04-06T19:09:00","modified_gmt":"2017-04-07T00:09:00","slug":"u-s-postal-service-releases-annual-dog-attack-city-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/2017\/04\/06\/u-s-postal-service-releases-annual-dog-attack-city-rankings\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Postal Service Releases Annual Dog Attack City Rankings"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Dog<\/strong><\/p>\n

LOS ANGELES \u2014 The number of postal employees attacked by dogs nationwide reached 6,755 in 2016 \u2014 more than 200 higher than the year before. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) released its annual ranking of top dog attack cities today, highlighted safety initiatives to help protect its employees and offered tips to pet owners.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven good dogs have bad days,\u201d said U.S. Postal Service Safety Director Linda DeCarlo in Los Angeles, where postal employees suffered 80 attacks \u2014 more than any other city in 2016. \u201cDog bite prevention training and continuing education are important to keep pet owners, pets and those who visit homes \u2014 like letter carriers \u2014 happy and healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Forty cities make up the top 30 dog attack city rankings (see chart below).<\/p>\n

Enhancing Employee Safety\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0<\/span>DeCarlo highlighted USPS safety measures that alert letter carriers to dogs on their delivery routes.\u00a0 The Package Pickup application on\u00a0<\/span>usps.com<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>asks customers to indicate if there are dogs at their addresses when they schedule package pickups. This information is provided to letter carriers on their delivery scanners, which also can send real-time updates if an unleashed dog is reported in a delivery area.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe scanners that Postal Service letter carriers use to confirm a customer\u2019s delivery include a feature for carriers to indicate the presence of a dog at an individual address,\u201d said DeCarlo. \u201cThis information is particularly helpful for substitute carriers who fill in for regular carriers on their days off.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeCarlo was in Los Angeles to kick off National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which runs Sunday, April 9 through Saturday, April 15. The Postal Service, joined by the\u00a0<\/span>American Humane,<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/span>American Veterinary Medical Association<\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>Insurance Information Institute<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>State Farm Insurance<\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>is driving home the message that dog bites are a national issue and education can help prevent dog attacks.<\/p>\n

Half of the 4.5 million Americans bitten by dogs annually are children, according to the\u00a0<\/span>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

DeCarlo gave the following tips and encouraged sharing them using the hashtag #preventdogbites<\/em>. Click this link to a video on\u00a0<\/span>dog bite prevention tips<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n