By Ashley Cummins

For the FCT

The United States Postal Service hosted its annual Dog Bite Prevention Awareness Week May 15-21.

Many citizens might not realize the problem facing postal workers on a daily basis. However, Russellville postmaster Timothy Eli said it’s more of a problem than people would think. “Dog owners usually don’t believe their beloved pets will bite, but mail carriers encounter a hundred different scents throughout any given day, and it only takes one to set them off.

“We have been very fortunate to not have encountered any serious injuries during my tenure as postmaster here, but we have had to suspend delivery on three separate occasions due to roaming dogs. I used to be a carrier myself and have been bitten several times in the past.”

Eli said the postal service realizes “it isn’t the animal’s fault. They see a stranger coming around, uninvited, carrying a package, and it’s their instinct to react.”

Eli has been working as postmaster in Russellville for three years and has worked as supervisor in Florence as well as station manager in Huntsville. “I can definitely say that it is more of a problem here, especially in the county. We are just trying to raise awareness and keep our workers safe.”

Here are some tips from the USPS to help prevent future dog bites:

–        If a letter carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. Dogs have been known to burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to get at strangers.

–       Dog owners should keep the family dog secured. Parents should remind their children not to take mail directly from letter carriers in the presence of the family pet as the dog might view the letter carrier handing mail to a child as a threatening gesture.

–       The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. If a letter carrier feels threatened by a vicious dog or if a dog is running loose, the owner could be asked to pick up the mail at the Post Office until the carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If the dog is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner’s neighbors might be asked to pick up their mail at the Post Office as well.

Eli said he knows not everyone is able or willing to secure his or her animals throughout the day. “Our carriers have been instructed to not deliver packages at homes with free roaming dogs. So packages may be picked up at the post office downtown. We also offer PO boxes for those who would be interested in receiving mail that way.”

For more information on Dog Bite Prevention, visit www.usps.com for more information.