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FAQ FOR COMMUNICATORSCarrier and Dog Interaction:Q: My dog loves our carrier, why can’t I let them off the leash?A: We urge dog owners to restrain their dog at all times. Dogs are animals, they act instinctively, and all it takes is just one wrong interaction/movement for our carrier to being injured. Q: My dog doesn’t like your uniformA:? Dogs are territorial and carriers enter into their territory. The uniform doesn’t trigger the dog -- protecting the dog’s space when the mail carrier enters is what triggers the dog. Q: My regular carrier feeds my dog. The sub did not.A: Mail carriers are advised against the feeding of dogs on their route. The habit of feeding puts other carriers at risk. Q: Carrier should pet my dog and get to know them to prevent dog bites.A: This approach continues to be a source of dog bites and we discourage carriers from petting animals on their routes. We ask that dog owners restrain their dog, away from where the carrier delivers the mail, so all interactions are minimized. Dog Repellent:Q: How does dog spray work? A: Dog repellent consists of 0.35 percent oleoresin capsicum (extract of cayenne pepper) and 99.65 percent mineral oil that is propelled by an inert gas out of an aerosol spray can. Q: Is the dog repellent Mace?A: Our dog repellent is not Mace. Mace is a brand of pepper spray that has different ingredients than our dog repellent. Q: What brand is the Dog Repellent? A: Halt and Back Off.Q: How safe is the dog repellent?A: The repellent has been accepted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Pesticides Regulation Branch and has been registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and bears registration No. 7754-1. It has been registered in all states requiring such registration. The significance of these registrations is that they identify the product(s) as effective and safe. Humane societies such as The American Kennel Club, the American Humane Association, the Popular Dogs Publishing Company, and the Humane Society of the United States were advised and indicated no objection to the use of the product under the conditions indicated.Dog Repellent Misuse:Q: I have video that shows you sprayed right into my door slot!? Why did you do that?A: Spraying into a door slot is not tolerated within the Postal Service unless it is absolutely necessary to restrain that animal. Q: I saw a carrier sprayed an innocent dog.A: When a carrier feels they are being attacked, we authorize the right for them to use dog repellent as their safety is our priority. We are currently reviewing the incident/video in question to gather additional details about this incident.? Q: Spray came in my house and my child/my dog/I was hit by the spray. A: Although we urge against mail carrier use of dog repellent if adults or children are also in danger of being sprayed, wind or other elements could have played a factor in the spray hitting someone other than the dog. We are in the process of gathering details and the appropriate actions will be taken. Dog Bite Cost:Q: How often do dog bites happen?A: Last year there 5,714 incidents, averaging 15 a day Q: How much does it cost tax payers?Zero tax dollars used. The Postal Service receives NO tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. Q: Who pays for dog bite attacks?A: The owner could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, pain and suffering, lifelong issues like physical disfigurement and costs relating to loss of quality of life depending on how serious the attack. Q: How much does an average bite cost USPS? Overall?? A: Postal officials say cost of a dog bite claim on the homeowner averaged $37,051.? Dog incidents are a third-party claim and the agency will act on behalf of the employee if the employee does not pursue hiring their own attorney. Dog Bite Carrier TrainingQ: Are new employees at greater risk?? Why? We train our new carriers strongly on how to manage their work methods and how to identify safety hazards. We speak to all carriers on how to be prepared if a dog enters their work location and how to use the tools (such as Halt Dog Spray, MDD alerts, a satchel, dog warning cards) for their personal safety. However, the safety of all carriers depends on responsible dog owners. Q: How are letter carriers trained if a dog starts to attack?A: Carriers are trained to follow these steps: never run from the dogstand your ground facing he doguse satchel to protect yourself while backing away slowlyalways carry dog repellent- make sure it is easily accessiblealways be aware of surroundingsQ: How often are letter carriers trained?A: They are trained during the carrier academy when they are first hired, regular service talks throughout the course of the year and Dog Bite Prevention week that occurs every April. Dog Bite InjuriesQ: What makes a bite reportable?A: Any unsafe, harmful or threatening dog interaction should be reported to a supervisor. Q: What makes this attack OSHA reportable?A: Once a dog bite wound breaks the skin and cannot be treated with items in a first aid kit (bandages, band aids, gauze pads, steri strips or butterfly bandage) it becomes OSHA reportable. Q: What’s the procedure when a dog incident happens?A: Depending on the severity. The carrier should always immediately notify the supervisor.Q: Has a carrier issue ever resulted in a dog being euthanized/ quarantined?? How many? A: We have no data to provide regarding how many of our dog incidents have resulted in dogs being euthanized or quarantined. We work closely with animal control and law enforcement across the nation and we appreciate their support. Q: What happens to the dog?A: Every dog bite scenario is different. Dog Breed Questions: Q: My Yorkshire Terrier is small and never bites. A: Dogs use biting as a way to play and to protect themselves. Even when a dog is small, they have the ability to break the skin of a human which can lead to serious injury. Your dog may never bite but it is still your responsibility as an owner to take preventative measures by restraining your dog when the mail carrier is delivering the mail.Q: My pit bull is friendly. Why are pit bulls always getting a bad rep?A: Dogs, big and small, use biting for play and as a defense mechanism. All breeds can cause serious injury. Since all dogs have the ability to bite, all should be restrained when a carrier is delivering the mail. Dog Postcard Questions: Q: The dog postcard sent to my house offends me because it’s a German Shepard. A: All breeds can cause serious injury. Since all dogs have the ability to bite, all should be restrained when a carrier is delivering the mail. Q: My dog has never been aggressive. Why would this postcard apply to me?A: We treat all dogs exactly the same. Those cards are precaution against what might happen, and we believe it is an important reminder to keep your dog restrained.Q: I don’t have a dog so why did I get this post card?A: The cards have been sent out as a neighborhood reminder. Mail Delivery Interruption Questions: Q: Why did my neighbor’s dog cause my mail delivery to stop?A: If a dog is roaming the neighborhood unrestrained and the carrier feels unsafe, mail will have to be picked up at the local post office until the area is deemed safe again. Q: Why did my mail delivery stop?A: Mail delivery was interrupted because the letter carrier felt your dog was a threat. Mail delivery will only be restored once your dog no longer poses a risk and is properly restrained. Mail delivery will only be restored when the dog no longer poses a risk and is properly restrained. If a dangerous dog issue is not resolved owners can be required to the pick their mail up at the post office and ultimately required to rent a post office box. Q: Can letter carriers walk away from a house and not deliver the mail if they don’t feel safe?A: Yes they can. Until the carrier feels safe enough to return the mail will have to be picked up at the dog owner’s local post office. Q: Why didn’t you tell me you stopped my mail?A: If a carrier feels a house or neighborhood is unsafe to deliver to there is no way to inform resident’s mail service has been interrupted. Residents who do not receive their mail will have to speak with the supervisor at their local post office for more information and to pick their mail up until there is no longer a threat to the mail carrier. The Postal Service does not have a phone directory to contact the resident. Q: How many households had their mail stopped? A: We do not keep a record of these numbers.MISC:Q: Why do you pick this time of year for this programming, why not summer? A: The American Veterinary Medical Association coined Dog Bite Prevention Week as the second full week of April each year. As more household activities move outside, so do household animals. It is a good time to remind our customers about how serious dog incidents can be for letter carriers. Postal records show that bites occur throughout the year and we stress dog bite awareness with our carriers regularly. FAQ (Spanish Version) Preguntas sobre el costo de las mordidas de perros: P: ?Con qué frecuencia ocurren las mordidas de perros?R: El a?o pasado, hubo 5,714 mordidas de perros denunciadas; eso da un promedio de 15 por día. P: ?Cuánto les cuesta eso a los contribuyentes?No se usan dólares de impuestos. El Servicio postal NO recibe dólares de impuestos para gastos operativos y depende de la venta de franqueo, productos y servicios para financiar sus operaciones. P: ?Quién paga por los ataques y mordidas de perros?R: El due?o puede ser responsable de las facturas médicas, salarios perdidos, dolor y sufrimiento, problemas de por vida, como desfiguración física y costos relacionados con la pérdida de la calidad de vida, según la gravedad del ataque. P: En promedio, ?cuánto le cuesta una mordida al USPS? ?En general?? R: De acuerdo con funcionarios postales, el costo de un reclamo por mordida de perro a un propietario fue, en promedio, $37,051.? Los incidentes con perros son un reclamo de terceros y el Servicio postal no actúa en nombre del empleado si el empleado no busca contratar a su propio abogado. ................
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