Politics & Government

Post Office Asks North County Residents to Restrain Pets

With the increased number of dog attacks in the area, the USPS wants people to take care of their pets.

Many are familiar with the creed of postal carriers that through sleet, snow, rain or other weather elements they will complete their mailing task. No one thought to add dog attacks to the long list however.

In North County, dog attacks have been on the rise, and the United States Postal Service is looking to lower this number with the help of area residents. Recently, the Florissant Focus newsletter included a note from a press release from Florissant Postmaster James Hall discussing the dog attack situation.

“Dog bite injuries have been a safety problem that has plagued the U.S. Postal Service for many years,” the article states. “Last year, letter carriers working in the St. Louis area suffered more than 132 dog bite injuries and so far this year, we are at 64.”

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More specifically, in St. Louis County, 20 attacks have happened since Oct. 1, 2012.

In April, one letter carrier in Florissant had a vicious attack upon her that required hospitalization and surgery for the severity of her wounds. After a 10-day quarantine, the dog was returned to its owner, according to a Fox 2 news story. The dog had no prior problematic history with the City of Florissant.

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The USPS encourages owners with pets to keep them restrained for the safety of carriers. Valerie Hughes, a spokeswoman of the USPS, said that unrestrained pets is a larger issue than for letter carriers as it’s a problem for children playing in the area nearby or neighbors simply walking the block.

Hughes said the USPS provides all letter carriers with talks and instructions on how to handle aggravated pets. For continuous problems with pets, she said that carriers can notify their supervisors who can then notify residents about the restraint of their pet during delivery hours.

In his note, Hall wrote that problem pets could result in the halt of mail delivery until a pet is restrained.

“Letter carriers take pride in delivering your mail promptly and efficiently,” Hall’s wrote in his release. “Please, help them deliver your mail safely. Keep your dog inside. Thank you for your assistance.”



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