Man’s finest good friend seems to have a bone to select with U.S. Postal Service staff in Los Angeles, which simply ranked No. 1 within the nation in terms of canine assaults on mail carriers.
Seventy-seven Postal Service staff have been attacked by canine final 12 months in Los Angeles, incomes town the unfavorable prime spot on the Postal Service’s incident listing for the third 12 months in a row.
California additionally ranks No. 1 amongst all states for assaults on Postal Service staff. There have been 701 incidents reported within the Golden State in 2024, which is 38% greater than Texas, which is in second place with 438 assaults reported.
The Postal Service launched the rankings this week as a part of its annual nationwide canine chew consciousness marketing campaign, geared toward educating canine house owners to stop future assaults. The info additionally present that canine assaults are a rising downside, rising from 5,300 incidents nationwide in 2022 to greater than 6,000 in 2024.
Even canine which have by no means proven indicators of aggression could have sudden reactions to mail carriers, the Postal Service warns.
“Canine could assault not solely to defend their territory, but in addition after they really feel startled, anxious or unwell,” the Postal Service said in a information launch. “It’s not nearly dangerous or aggressive canine — it’s about unpredictable moments.”
Residents are suggested to safe their canine inside earlier than the provider approaches the property. Kids must also be warned to not settle for mail from a provider within the presence of a canine because the pet could understand the employee as a risk.
House owners can join USPS’ Knowledgeable Supply alerts to allow them to have a greater sense of when their provider is coming.
Canine assaults not solely threaten the protection and well being of Postal Service staff but in addition can come at a big price to the proprietor, who could also be responsible for 1000’s of {dollars} in medical payments and misplaced wages.
“Clients could not think about their canine a hazard to others, nevertheless, to a letter provider like me, all canine might be thought of a risk when delivering the mail,” letter provider Jonah Helfrich mentioned in an announcement. “I used to be just lately delivering mail and a canine barged by a door and bit me on the wrist, which required me to hunt medical remedy.”
Harmful canine can even immediate the USPS to droop service to a sure tackle till the provider feels protected sufficient to renew supply.
In 2020, mail supply was suspended at Mar Vista Gardens, a public housing complicated with greater than 1,800 tenants in Los Angeles’ Del Rey neighborhood, partly over an “uncontrollable canine.”
If a canine challenge shouldn’t be resolved, house owners might be required to lease a Put up Workplace field to obtain mail.
Postal Service staff obtain security coaching to assist decrease the chance of harmful canine encounters.
For instance, they’re taught to make a nonthreatening noise to alert a canine to their presence when getting into a yard and to maintain their eyes on the pooch throughout the supply. They’re additionally skilled to face their floor throughout an assault, utilizing their satchel or canine repellent to defend themselves if obligatory.
These steps haven’t been sufficient to stem the rising variety of canine assaults, nevertheless.
