Letter carriers cautious of dog bites this summer
by Sara Sedlacek · July 08, 2009

The temperatures are high and so is the risk of running into an aggressive dog. Nobody is more aware of this risk than letter carriers.

In 2007, more than 3,000 city and rural letter carriers were bitten by dogs. The American Veterinary Medical Association, the Humane Society of the United States and the American Academy of Pediatrics report that small children, the elderly and letter carriers, in that order, are the most frequent victims of dog bites. The United States Postal Service takes dog bites very seriously, even suspending mail to entire neighborhood if a letter carrier feels at risk. Letter carriers in West Liberty run the same risk as letter carriers in other parts of the United States and all have had experiences with vicious dogs in West Liberty.

Xann Mather and Cindy Garvin, long-time postal workers, have both been bitten by dogs.

“The little dogs bite quicker than the big dogs,” Garvin, who has been bitten twice, said. “It’s very seldom the big dogs that bite.”

Garvin said there’s a reason for this.

“People seem to be more cautious about keeping big dogs restrained,” she explained.

West Liberty postal worker Pam Wever agreed.

“The larger dogs bark and growl but I’ve never felt afraid of them,” she said.

According to the United States Postal Service policy, if a letter carrier feels at all threatened by a dog, the carrier may choose to suspend delivery to the home or, if the dog is at large, the carrier may even suspend delivery to an entire neighborhood.

“Anytime a carrier feels there’s a threat, they have a duty to protect themselves and this in turn protects others, especially other delivery personnel,” explained Wever. “We once went through several weeks of asking some people to restrain their dog. We even held their mail.”

Though Wever has never been bitten, she said she has been charged by a dog.

“Mail carriers walk up to the door, get barked at and then they leave,” Garvin explained. “The dogs think they’ve done their job.”

Mather, who has been bitten three times, said dogs are usually protecting their property and are often not normally agressive dogs.

“People think their dog won’t bite but in reality, they just won’t bite you,” Mather said. “The dogs are usually protecting their property. When [the Postal Service] says don’t trust any dogs, you really don’t trust any dogs.”

If a letter carrier is bitten, there is a process each carrier must go through before he or she goes back to work. First, the carrier must immediately notify his or her supervisor of the bite. After it is determined whether or not the carrier needs medical attention, animal control is contacted and the owner of the dog is contacted. Depending on what the owner does with the dog, mail delivery may be suspended. There are also legal ramifications if your dog bites a letter carrier. The homeowner, not necessarily the owner of the dog, is responsible for all the carrier’s medical bills and lost wages. If the carrier is unable to return to work, the homeowner is financially responsible for pain and suffering, as well.

Letter carriers and Postal Service do take precautions and try their best to avoid any situation which could lead to a dog bite.

“We give dog warning cards to any new carriers, we carry mace and the rural carriers don’t get out of the car if they feel they’re in danger,” Garvin said.

“If we see dogs running loose in a neighborhood, we call animal control,” said Mather. “We’re everywhere. We know all the dogs by name and we know where they belong. We even know the cats.”

One dog that bit Mather was put down after the attack. The owners had not updated the dog’s rabies shots. Mather received a settlement from the dog’s owners. A second dog was quarantined for 14 days after the attack.

“It’s definitely a problem for the owner,” Mather said. “The owner’s insurance paid out the settlement. It’s not fun.”

Though bites happen, letter carriers are adamant that they are easily prevented.

“People don’t remember that dogs can jump. Don’t put your mailbox on top of the fence where the dog can reach it,” said Mather. “Don’t tie your dog to the mailbox. Have your dog restrained.”

“It’s not just us you’re protecting,” Garvin said. She explained there are other people, including children and other delivery personnel, in the area that could be at risk from a dog bite.”

The West Liberty letter carriers explained that, if the mail isn’t delivered in a timely manner, pet owners may want to ask themselves where their dog was that day and to make sure their dog is always properly restrained or confined during delivery times.