INDIANAPOLIS — Twenty-one USPS employees were attacked by dogs in Indianapolis in 2019, the most of any Indiana city.
There were a total of 119 dog attacks in the state in 2019, with most coming from its capital city.
USPS highlighted the number of attacks and ways to reduce future attacks in preparation for National Dog Bite Awareness Week, which runs from June 14-20.
Houston had the most dog attacks on USPS employees in 2019, with 85.
USPS offers the following safety tips for dog owners:
- When 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.
- Parents should remind children and other family members not to take mail directly from letter carriers in the presence of the family pet. The dog may view the letter carrier handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.
- 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 location or another facility 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 location.
