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May 13, 2004 - CR Release #04-032
National Dog Bite Prevention Week Focuses On Children As Primary Victims - PDF | TEXT
Every spring the U.S. Postal Service calls attention to what continues to be one of the nation's most commonly reported public health problems: dog bites.
National Dog Bite Awareness Week in May is the Postal Service's public service campaign that offers safety tips and emphasizes the need for increased pet owner responsibility in preventing these troubling animal attacks.
The Humane Society of the United States reports that small children, the elderly, and Postal Service letter carriers - in that order - are the most frequent victims of dog bites. Recent statistics show the annual number of dog attacks exceeds the reported instances of measles, whooping cough, and mumps, combined. In addition, dog bite victims account for up to five percent of emergency room visits.
Although the Postal Service and other organizations recognize the importance of a nationwide effort to prevent dog bites, more needs to be done. In 2001, for the first time in more than a decade, the number of dog bites reported by letter carriers exceeded 3,000. In 2002, that number grew to over 3,800. In 2003, the number declined to just above 3,400, but that still means that an average of 11 letter carriers suffer dog-related injuries each delivery day. Many of the bites reported occurred despite pet owners' insistence that their dogs would not bite.
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