Dogs attacked 47 Nevada postal carriers in 2017

Forty-seven postal employees were attacked by dogs in Nevada in 2017 — four fewer than the year before. The U.S. Postal Service released its annual ranking of top dog attack cities and highlighted safety initiatives to help protect its employees.

According to the data for 2017, Carson City, Ely and Gardnerville each suffered one attack. Sparks reported three attacks, with four in both Henderson and North Las Vegas. Reno had the second highest number of attacks at 14 behind Las Vegas’ 19. The U.S. city with the most attacks for 2017 was Houston, with 71 attacks reported.

Nationally, USPS reported 6,244 dog attacks for 2017, more than 500 fewer than the year before.

Postal officials said new technology is one reason for the decrease. Employee delivery scanners now display safety messages, including homes where dogs are present. This is especially helpful to carriers who are delivering in unfamiliar neighborhoods. Customers who choose Package Pickup at usps.com can indicate if there are dogs at their addresses when they schedule package pickups.

While the dog problem for postal carriers is real, it’s not just a postal problem. Half of the 4.5 million Americans bitten by dogs annually are children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Postal Service shares the following dog bite prevention tips:

If a postal carrier delivers a certified letter or a package to your front door, place your dog into a separate room and close the door before opening the front door. Dogs have been known to burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to get at carriers.

Dog owners should remind their children about the need to keep the family dog secured. Parents should tell their children not to take mail directly from letter carriers in the presence of the family pet as the dog may see handing mail to a child as a threatening gesture.

A short video offering additional prevention tips is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3Q2SV70mDM&feature=youtu.be.