Houston's Mail Carriers Face Record Dog-Bite Danger

HOUSTON, TX — Mail carriers in the Bayou City are especially busy these days, as more and more people shop online and have goods shipped to their home. Those boxes must be delivered by someone — at least until Amazon gets its drone-delivery program established.

Seems that the dogs at home don't like all the activity, because Houston's mail carriers are facing increasing danger from canine assaults, which reached an all-time high in 2016, according to the United States Postal Service.

"Even good dogs have bad days," USPS Safety Director Linda DeCarlo said in a news release. "Dog bite prevention training and continuing education are important to keep pet owners, pets and those who visit homes – like letter carriers – happy and healthy."

Houston logged 62 dog assaults of mail carriers in 2016, behind Los Angeles's nation-leading 80. Overall, 6,755 postal workers were assaulted by dogs in 2016. Houston topped the rankings in 2010.

The postal service announced the statistics to mark National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which ends on April 15.

The postal service offered a few tips to help prevent dog-carrier conflict:

• 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.

Other Texas cities on the dog-assault list: San Antonio (11), Dallas (13), and Fort Worth (18).

— Image: USPS