Dogs attacked more than 100 Colorado postal carriers last year

The United States Postal Service has released its statistics on Dog attacks in 2017.

According to the USPS, 132 postal employees were attacked by dogs in Colorado in 2017. This actually fewer attacks than the year before, 24 fewer to be exact.

Across the nation, the USPS reported 6,244 dog attacks for 2017. This is 500 fewer than 2016.

The postal service said a big reason for the decrease in attacks is new technology. Employees’ delivery scanners now display messages to alert them when dogs may be present at a home.

While dog attacks may be a problem for postal carriers, the USPS said dog attacks are far from just a postal problem. According to the agency, 4.5 million American are bitten by dogs each year, and half of those are children.

The USPS offers these tips on preventing dog attacks:

• If a postal carrier delivers a certified letter or a package to your front door, place your dog into a separate room and close the door before opening the front door. Dogs have been known to burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to get at carriers.
• Dog owners should remind their children about the need to keep the family dog secured. Parents should tell their children not to take mail directly from letter carriers in the presence of the family pet as the dog may see handing mail to a child as a threatening gesture.

2017 Colorado Dog Attacks

2017 Dog Attack Rankings by City