The United States Postal Service, through local post offices, has recently released new guidelines for dog owners, asking them to help make mail delivery safer for their carriers.
The guidelines state that letter carriers are aware that all dogs can bite, even those that seem nonaggressive, emphasizing that dog owners have a responsibility to control their pets. They asked that when a letter carrier comes to their home, owners keep their dogs inside the house or behind a fence, away from the door or in another room, or on a leash.
Additionally, they ask that pet owners remind children not to take mail directly from a carrier, as many dogs may see this as a potential threat and could attack.
The guidelines stated that carriers are trained to observe areas where dogs may be present and to be alert for potential dangers, while also respecting a dog’s territory. They are also trained on what to do if attacked, including putting something between themselves and the dog or using dog repellent.
Carriers have tools that help alert them to dogs on their routes - there’s a dog alert feature on their handheld scanners, and dog warning cards are used during mail sorting.
“Even though a customer’s dog is friendly to most people, it can always have a bad day,” said letter carrier Tara Snyder. “I know, from experience, even when a dog is in the house, customers need to make sure their door is secure so their dog can’t push it open and bite the letter carrier.”
The guidelines also state that if a letter carrier feels unsafe, mail service can be temporarily suspended. Until the carrier feels safe enough to continue delivery, mail will have to be picked up at the dog owner’s local post office. If there is no way for the carrier to safely inform residents of this, they will need to contact their local post office supervisor.
The guidance said that if a dangerous dog issue is not resolved, owners can be required to rent a post office box to receive mail.