By the time he heard the dog’s owner yell out, it was too late. U.S. Postal Service carrier Sebastian Torres Jr. was bit in the leg and bloodied despite following safety protocols, when the dog lunged at him from behind.
“It all happened so fast, and we always have to be careful out there,” said Torres, a mail carrier for 36 years. “We always have to be vigilant, from the time we leave the post office to the time we get to our designated route.”
Torres recounted his experience with a dog attack and several close calls at a press conference hosted by USPS on Wednesday, June 5, in Encino. This is National Dog Bite Awareness week sponsored by USPS, and the agency is working to educate pet owners to restrain their canines.
The campaign’s theme is, “Don’t let your dog bite the hand that serves you.”
Nationwide, more than 5,800 postal employees were attacked by dogs in 2023, according to USPS data, and Los Angeles tops the list of canine encounters gone wrong nationwide, with 65 reported in 2023.
In Encino alone, 34 dog attacks were reported over the last five years.
“A lot of customers ended up getting dogs during the pandemic,” said Esi Efseaff, a postmaster and dog safety specialist for USPS. “And they might not always be prepared for these situations, so it’s all about educating the public.”
Some steps used by postal workers include scanning their surroundings for dog toys, alerting pets of their presence by rattling fences so they aren’t startled at the door, and carrying protective satchels and dog spray for emergencies. Mail carriers are also taught to never pet or feed dogs, and never assume a dog won’t bite.
“We can work together,” Efseaff said. “We have measures to help ensure safety and we want residents to do the same.”
USPS officials emphasized that dog owners should put their animals in the house or behind a fence when a postal worker is near, and keep them away from the door, or in another room, or on a leash.
“All it takes is one second of inattentiveness for danger to strike,” USPS customer relations coordinator Quillan Chambers said. When he was a mail carrier, he never left for work without jangly keys to alert dogs early on.
Dog attacks can be deadly. Chambers cited a tragedy in Florida in 2022, when a 61-year-old postal worker died after being mauled by five dogs.
Canine incident numbers rose in 2023, with 52 more attacks against postal workers reported in California last year compared to 2022.
Chambers said awareness is key, and the USPS “is pleading with customers” to heed the agency’s safety instructions.
Chambers said he loves dogs and he grew up with “two big, beautiful pups.” But “that familiarity doesn’t change what can happen. Just because a dog is friendly with most people, doesn’t mean they are friendly with all people.”
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