USPS: For 2nd year in a row, Sacramento ranks 16th on list of most dog bites on carriers

LOOKING TO REDUCE DOG ATTACKS ON MAIL CARRIERS. NATIONWIDE, MORE THAN 6000 WERE ATTACKED JUST LAST YEAR. NOW, THE AGENCY IS RUNNING A CAMPAIGN CALLED SECURE YOUR DOG. KEEP DELIVERIES ON TRACK. AND THIS MORNING, WE WELCOME NEIL GONZALEZ. HE IS THE SACRAMENTO POSTMASTER. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. YOU KNOW, EARLIER THIS WEEK, WE TOLD OUR VIEWERS ABOUT THESE NUMBERS, THIS DATA THAT CAME OUT SHOWING THAT SACRAMENTO RANKED WITHIN THE TOP 20 OF THE NUMBER OF ATTACKS FOR CARRIERS. HOW IS THAT IMPACTING MORALE WITH THE CARRIERS RIGHT NOW IN THE SACRAMENTO AREA? WELL, IT DEFINITELY KEEPS THEM MORE ALERT WHEN THEY’RE OUT THERE MAKING SURE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE PREPARED, THEY’RE LOOKING AT THEIR SURROUNDINGS AND THEY’RE JUST BEING DILIGENT OUT THERE WHILE DELIVERING MAIL, MAKING SURE THAT THEY’RE FOCUSED. I HAVE A CARRIER THAT’S A COUSIN. HE’S IN VIRGINIA, AND HE ALWAYS SHARES WITH ME SOME OF THE STORIES, SOME OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HE PERSONALLY ENCOUNTERS. AND HE ALSO TALKS ABOUT THE TRAINING. THEIR SPECIFIC TRAINING TO THAT THESE CARRIERS UNDERGO TO BE PREPARED. TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AND WHAT YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW. YES, WE DO EXTENSIVE TRAINING WITH OUR CARRIERS. WE TEACH THEM, YOU KNOW, HOW TO STAND THEIR GROUND, HOW TO PREPARE THEMSELVES IN CASE THEY ARE APPROACHED BY A DOG. YOU KNOW, HOW TO USE THEIR SATCHEL, HOW TO. WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF PREVENTATIVE MEASURES. WE HAVE DOG ALERT CARDS, DOG ALERTS ON THEIR SCANNERS. IF THERE’S KNOWN DOGS IN THE AREA, WE CONSTANTLY TRAIN WEEKLY. WE CONSTANTLY GO OVER. WE HAVE CONSTANT STAND UP TALKS THAT ALLOW THE CARRIERS TO JUST PREPARE THEMSELVES HOW TO HOLD THEIR SATCHEL IN CASE THEY’RE APPROACHED BY A DOG, HOW TO USE THEIR DOG REPELLENT IF NECESSARY. SO WE THAT’S AN ONGOING THING THAT WE DO. YEAH, THERE’S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO THAT. OF COURSE. WHAT HAPPENS THOUGH, IF THERE IS A CARRIER THAT’S ATTACKED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, WHAT’S THE REAL IMPACT FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD? WELL, NUMBER ONE IS THE EMPLOYEE. THE INJURY TO THE EMPLOYEE. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF EMPLOYEES, THEY GET TRAUMATIZED FROM WHAT OCCURS. YOU KNOW, IF IT’S A BAD BITE, SOMETIMES IT’S NOT JUST A BITE. SOMETIMES THEY’RE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE DOG AND THEY CAN FALL TO THE GROUND, INJURE THEMSELVES. THEN ALSO, IT’S THE CUSTOMER, THE CUSTOMER. WE STOP DELIVERY OF MAIL TO THAT, TO THAT RESIDENCE, MAKING IT AN INCONVENIENCE BECAUSE NOW THEY WOULD HAVE TO GET A PO BOX. THEN THEY’D HAVE TO DRIVE TO THE POST OFFICE EVERY DAY TO PICK UP THEIR MAIL. SO THAT’S SOME OF THE THE ISSUES THAT CAN HAPPEN. AND ALSO THE LIABILITY. THERE COULD BE FINANCIAL LIABILITIES TO THE HOMEOWNERS IN REGARDS TO THEIR DOGS ATTACKING A MAIL CARRIER. WELL, HOW DOES THIS IMPACT AND THIS NEWS AND THIS KIND OF AWARENESS NOW, HOW DOES IT IMPACT RECRUITING, LIKE WHEN YOU’RE GOING OUT AND TRYING TO GET MORE CARRIERS, HOW DOES IT IMPACT THAT? FORTUNATELY, THAT HASN’T BEEN A BIG IMPACT. YOU KNOW, WE WE INFORM THE NEW HIRES RIGHT AWAY THAT, HEY, YOU’RE GOING TO BE OUT THERE. THERE’S THERE’S DOGS, YOU KNOW, BUT WE’RE GOING TO PROVIDE YOU TRAINING TO EQUIP YOU WITH THE TOOLS THAT YOU NEED TO PREVENT DOG BITES. AND THAT’S WHY WE’RE HERE, IS TO GIVE THE AWARENESS TO THE PUBLIC AND TALK ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN THAT’S UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW TO. YES, THIS JUNE IS DOG AWARENESS MONTH, DOG AWARENESS MONTH. AND WE JUST WANT EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW, SECURE YOUR DOG. MOST DOG BITES HAPPEN WHEN THE CARRIER MAKES A DELIVERY TO THE HOME, AND THEY COME AND OPEN THE DOOR. CHILD OPENS THE DOOR TO GET THE MAIL. THEY’RE EXCITED. AND THEN WHEN THE CARRIER IS LEAVING THE PROPERTY, THE DOG WILL RUN OUT. SO WE ASK PLEASE THAT YOU KNOW THE USUAL TIME YOUR CARRIER GETS THERE. MAKE SURE BEFORE YOU GET YOUR MAIL THAT YOU TRY TO SECURE YOUR DOG, PUT THEM IN ANOTHER ROOM, AND IF YOU’RE OUTSIDE WITH YOUR DOG AND YOU SEE THE CARRIER COMING, MAKE SURE YOU SECURE YOUR DOG. NEVER ACCEPT MAIL FROM A CARRIER WHILE YOUR DOG IS PRESENT WITH YOU, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT THINK YOU’RE DOING THE RIGHT THING AND BEING FRIENDLY WITH THE CARRIER. BUT THEN THE DOG BY NATURE MIGHT THINK THAT’S AN ATTACK ON THEIR OWNER AND GO INTO DEFENSE MODE. SO WE WANT TO KEEP OUR CARRIERS SAFE, AND WE WANT YOU TO GET YOUR MAIL. GOOD INFORMATION. NE

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