USPS raises awareness about the danger of dog bites after more than 6K employees attacked last year

PITTSBURGH — The U.S. Post Office is raising awareness about the dangers of dog bites after more than 6,000 postal employees were attacked last year.

In Pittsburgh alone, there were 17 incidents involving dog bites on postal workers. To address this issue, officials held a special training session for mail carriers aimed at educating them on how to stay safe while on their routes.

“It can disrupt your whole neighborhood and not to mention the carrier’s family,” said Amber Tate, station manager at the McKnight Post Office. “Often we have to make sure shots are involved and check for infection or further injury.”

During the training, officials emphasized the importance of ensuring that doors are locked and dogs are restrained when mail is being delivered. This precaution can help prevent potential attacks.

In a related incident, two postal workers, Tony Kriley and Jamie Sevens, were honored for their bravery in stopping a dog attack. While on their route in Mount Oliver in March, they witnessed a pit bull mauling a woman. They intervened by spraying the dog with a deterrent, which helped save the woman.

For their courageous actions, both Kriley and Sevens received the Postmaster General Hero Award in June.

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