National Dog Bite Awareness Week Is April 9 to April 15

COURT HOUSE — National Dog Bite Awareness Week is April 9 to April 15. The U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of calling attention to one of the nation’s most commonly reported public health problems: dog attacks and bites. From nips and bites to actual attacks, violent dog behavior continues to pose a serious threat to our employees. To emphasize the enormity of this issue, we are reporting the number of dog attacks and bites as one number. The number of postal employees attacked by dogs nationwide reached 6,755 in 2016 — more than 200 higher than the year before. Sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service, National Dog Bite Prevention Week is a public service campaign that offers safety tips and emphasizes the need for increased owner responsibility in the prevention of dog attacks.
Dog Bite Prevention Background and Tips:
The Victims:
• More than 4.5 million people are bitten annually.
• Children are the majority of victims and are 900 times more likely to be bitten than letter carriers.
• The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) report that small children, the elderly, and letter carriers, in that order, are the most frequent victims. Dog attacks are the most commonly reported childhood public health problem in the United States.
• The AVMA also reports that the number of dog attacks exceeds the reported instances of measles, whooping cough, and mumps, combined. Dog bite victims account for up to 5 percent of emergency room visits.
• Many attacks reported by letter carriers in 2015 came from dogs whose owners used those famous last words, “my dog won’t bite.”
• According to the AVMA, as many as 800,000 people annually are admitted to U.S. emergency departments with dog bite–associated injuries, and countless more bites go unreported and untreated.
How to Avoid Being Bitten:
• Don’t run past a dog. The dog’s natural instinct is to chase and catch you.
• If a dog threatens you, don’t scream. Avoid eye contact. Try to remain motionless until the dog leaves, and then back away slowly until the dog is out of sight.
• Don’t approach a strange dog, especially one that’s tethered or confined.
• While letter carriers are discouraged from petting animals, people who choose to pet dogs should always let a dog see and sniff them before petting the animal.
• If you believe a dog is about to attack you, try to place something between yourself and the dog, such as a backpack or a bicycle.
How to Be a Responsible Dog Owner:
• Obedience training can teach dogs proper behavior and help owners control their dog in any situation.
• When the letter carrier comes to your home, keep your dog inside, away from the door, in another room, or on a leash.
• Dogs can be protective of their territory and may interpret the actions of letter carriers as a threat. Please take precautions when accepting mail in the presence of your pet.
• Dogs that haven’t been properly socialized, receive little attention or handling, or are left tied-up for long periods of time frequently turn into biters.