Canada Post carriers suffering spike in dog attacks
Mail carriers in Canada have reported a big increase in the number of dog attacks as more owners keep their pets outside in the warm summer weather. Canada Post said today there had been 41 dog bites reported by its staff in this month alone, including some “very serious” incidents.
The Corporation is now urging dog owners across Canada to keep their animals well away from the area of mail delivery, including the approach from the street, mail slots in doors and outside mailboxes.
Along with the fair weather, the summer can be worse for dog bites as delivery personnel cover for colleagues going away on vacation, appearing unfamiliar to the dogs on their routes.
Canada Post said last month’s major service disruptions may also have meant dogs need to re-adjust to seeing carriers delivering post every day.
The Corporation warned dog owners that even small dogs with a normally friendly disposition can inflict serious injuries when guarding territory and protecting the family home.
“We train our people, make them aware of known risks on their routes and provide dog repellent to help protect them from dog bites, but we need dog owners to remember to keep dogs away from these delivery areas,” said Nikki Forest, interim vice-president for collection and delivery at Canada Post. “The responsibility is the same no matter how big or small, friendly or unfriendly the dog.”
Last week a dog took a bite out of a letter carrier in the Dorval area of Montreal even though the carrier had been delivering mail to the same address for years without a problem with the dog.
Authorities in some Canadian cities are looking into tightening animal control laws because of the problem, including Belleville, Ontario, where a bull mastiff took off part of a letter carrier’s thumb earlier this month.
