INDIANAPOLIS — The Twitter account @dog_rates famously wrote, "they're good dogs Brent." According to a recent study by the United States Postal Service, dogs in Indianapolis are getting even better.
Every year as part of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, the Postal Service releases rankings by city of the worst locations for dog bite attacks. USPS reported Indianapolis saw a decrease in attacks from 2016 through 2018.
None of Indiana's cities ranked in the 20-most dangerous places for dog bites in 2018. Indianapolis was the 16th worst in 2017, which was a 30 percent decrease from the previous year.
“It’s encouraging to see a decrease in the number of dog bite incidents in Indianapolis,” Indianapolis postmaster Christi Johnson-Kennedy said in a release. “Our employees have been engaged in taking preventative measures against dog attacks, but they need help from our customers, too. We are confident we can keep moving the trends of attacks downward, and in doing so, ramping up overall awareness for everyone.”
The report said 5,714 postal employees nationwide were attacked by dogs in 2018.
The Postal Service also asks that dog owners follow these safety tips:
- 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 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.
According to the report, the five worst cities for dog bite attacks are Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Dallas.
