Baltimore Among Top Cities For Dog Attacks On Postal Workers
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore has ranked 16th in the United States Postal Service's top 30 list of cities where employees are most frequently attacked by dogs.
The list was released today in honor of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which starts April 9.
The number of postal employees attacked by dogs nationwide reached 6,755 in 2016 — more than 200 higher than the year before, according to a release.
Ranking ahead of Baltimore on the list: Los Angeles, Houston, Cleveland, San Diego, Louisville, Detroit, Denver, Chicago, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, San Antonio, Portland, Dallas, Philadelphia and Columbus.
USPS has the following tips for dog owners:
• If a letter carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. Dogs have been known to burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to attack visitors. Dog owners should keep the family pet secured.
• Parents should remind their children and other family members not to take mail directly from letter carriers in the presence of the family pet, as the dog may view the letter carrier handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.
• The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. If a letter carrier feels threatened by a dog, or if a dog is loose or unleashed, the owner may be asked to pick up mail at a Post Office until the letter carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If the dog is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner's neighbors also may be asked to pick up their mail at the area's Post Office.
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