USPS Not Going to the Dogs in Maine

Well, the results are in, and Maine has the 4th fewest postal carriers bitten by dogs each year. Who knew? This article in the SeasoastOnline newspaper from New Hamphire explains...

Letter carriers' risk of dog bites lower in Maine
By Associated Press
May 17, 2007 6:00 AM

WASHINGTON — For a mail carrier looking to escape dog bites, New York City is the place to go, and Maine isn't so bad, either. California, however, is the place to avoid.

The New York metropolitan area recorded no dog bites of letter carriers last year.

At the other end of the scale, the Santa Ana, Calif., area led the nation with 96 bitten carriers, and three of the top five spots for carriers to get bitten were in the Golden State.
...
"Every animal needs to be protective, but its up to the customers to keep them trained," he added. "Here in California they just seem not to do it."

Some customers try to introduce their dogs to the regular carrier, but that still leaves the substitute carrier vulnerable, he noted.

Carriers are trained in how to defend themselves, he said, and are discouraged from petting or getting close to dogs.
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In 2006 some 3,184 letter carriers were bitten by dogs, the agency said, down slightly from 3,273 the year before.

After the New York metro area, next safest was Alaska with 2 bites, followed by Honolulu, 3 and Maine and Montana with 9 each.

Following Santa Ana's 96 bites were Houston, 94; Sacramento, 82; Los Angeles, 77 and South Florida, 71.

[for full article click here: Source]