Show Postman bite If your dog bites a US Postal Service letter carrier you could be financially liable for the carriers carrier's pain suffering medical expenses and lost work days That's a new policy for the US Postal Services Service's Salt Lake City Sectional Center which covers postal operation in Utah and the Ely Elko area of Nevada According to Howard L Buck management sectional center manager and postmaster the actual dollar amount of each case will vary depending on Its severity Take Tako issue to to court If the dog owner or in some cases the property owner is not willing to pay Postal Service attorneys will take the issue to court If the carrier prefers he or she can hire a private attorney Until recently the Postal Service had no authority to deal with the dog bite pro pro- problem problem blem other than to caution carriers But Buta a growing number of bites nationwide nationwide- over In fiscal 1982 1962 including one in California that killed a man has pro pro- prompted prompted the Postal Service to take action In the Salt Lake City last fiscal year 53 letter carriers were bitten No laughing m matter Cartoons and jok s make light of the snapping dog versus the letter carrier confrontation but its it's no laughing mat mat- matter matter ter when you consider the fear pain and disfigurement involved said Postmaster Buck Were not against pets he added but something has to be done What he would prefer be done is that pet owners take some steps to help pre pre pre- prevent vent dog bites Keep your dog away from mailboxes and the areas that carriers use for access to mailboxes said Postmaster Buck We constantly alert our carriers to the problem but we need the publics public's help to stop it |