Letter Carriers Dogged by Bites

It seems to be written in the canine genetic code.

Mail carriers--and Southern California mail carriers more than most--have that certain something that makes dogs want to bite them.

The district that covers Orange County and the San Gabriel Valley ranked first nationwide in 1998 for dog bites to letter carriers, the U.S. Postal Service reported recently.

“This is not a No. 1 we want to be,” said Terri Bouffiou, spokeswoman for the Santa Ana area.

Eighty-eight district letter carriers suffered bites last year, up from 61 in 1997. Bouffiou attributed the area’s consistent top-10 ranking to its large population and urban and suburban terrain.

“Wherever carriers are going door to door, they are far more vulnerable,” Bouffiou said.

Dog bites peak in spring and summer, when pets are let out to enjoy the weather and children are home to play with them.

In recent years, Southern Californians also have developed a taste for muscular dogs bred to fight, resulting in numerous maulings, the American Humane Assn.’s Western regional office has reported.

“The temperament of dogs varies,” said Leslie Sinclair, the Humane Society of the United States’ director of veterinary issues for companion animals. “Some of the breeds we’ve promoted--shepherds, Rottweilers, pit bulls--are extremely aggressive.”

The image of the feisty little dog nipping at the mailman’s calves is a comedy staple, but bites are serious business to the postal service. The agency estimates it spends $25 million a year on expenses related to bites.

Bill Jeffrey, a carrier with the West Covina post office, sustained four bites to his legs and buttocks last month after four dogs pushed through an unlocked door and knocked him down from behind.

“It happened so fast,” he said. “I was down on the ground yelling and kicking.”

The puncture wounds still have not healed entirely, he said.

Since the mid-’80s, when 7,000 mail carriers were bitten annually, the postal service has undertaken a campaign to cut down on attacks. Last year, 2,541 carriers were bitten, the third straight year the total dropped.

New mail carriers are taught to recognize warning signs from dogs, such as flattened ears, raised tails and stiffened legs. They are trained to use their satchels to defend themselves and carry pepper spray for emergencies.

The postal service also has appealed to dog owners to train and socialize pets or to keep them indoors when mail carriers come around. Spayed or neutered dogs are three times less likely to attack.

Even for normally gentle dogs, it is second nature to protect their turf and their loved ones, said Bouffiou, the owner of an Australian shepherd.

“My dog goes crazy when the mailman comes,” she said. “It’s the only thing we can’t train out of him. I’m convinced he thinks he’s performing us a service, protecting us. He’s never bitten anyone, but that mail carrier might be the one if he had the chance.”

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SPOTLIGHT: The Facts on Pit Bulls

More than $2 billion a year is spent nationwide on dog bite treatment. While pit bulls are often cited as aggressive and dangerous, dog experts say their behavior results from human error. Dogs that attack are not being cared for, and their owners aren’t properly socializing them. A look at pit bulls:

COMPARISONS:

* Pit bulls, being sporting dogs, are highly muscular and possess strength and stamina. They have a predisposition of aggression toward other dogs.

* Pit bulls can absorb more damage than other dogs.

Dog Fight Dilemma

If a dog attack appears imminent, stand still with your hands at your sides, avoid eye contact and do not run. What to do:

* Try to “feed” the dog your jacket, purse or anything you can get between yourself and the animal.

* If you are knocked down or fall, curl into a ball with your hands over your ears to minimize damage.

* Try not to scream or move.

Dog Bites

As of April nearly a thousand dog bite cases were reported to Orange County Animal Control, about 10% involved pit bulls.

1999 As of April:

953 total; 93 pitbull or pitbull mix

BITE SIZE FACTS

Orange County residents reported more bites from German shepherds than pit bulls in 1998.

Breed: Bites

German Shepherd/Shepard Mix: 503

Labrador Retriever/Lab mix: 351

Pit Bull/pit bull mix: 330

Chow Chow/Chow Chow mix: 235

Rottweiler/Rottweiler mix: 181

Cocker Spaniel/mix: 124

TOP 10 CITIES REPORTING BITES, 1998

Anaheim: 358

Santa Ana: 323

Huntington Beach: 256

Garden Grove: 195

Orange: 156

Mission Viejo: 130

Fullerton: 128

Irvine: 121

Yorba Linda: 103

Costa Mesa: 84

Sources: Orange County Animal Control; Humane Society of the United States; U.S. Postal Service Lt. Barbara Morrison; Dr. Richard Evans, O.C. Animal Contorl: Eyewitness Handbooks: Dogs