GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — The National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign kicked off the first week of June.
The goal of the campaign is to inform dog owners on how to keep your dog from biting mail carriers.
In 2023, Colorado had a total of 94 recorded dog bites with 21 of them being in the Denver area.
Communications Specialist for USPS James Boxrud says dog bites increase during the summer and dog owners should be aware.
"In the summertime, we see an increase of dog bites, and one of the reasons for that is the kids are home from school. The family dog is out there, and the dog is doing exactly what you want it to do. You want it to protect your family, you want it to protect your turf... and as letter carriers they come in and invade that space."
Boxrud has this advice for when the mail carrier comes.
- Put your dog on a leash
- Put your dog in the backyard or the other room
- Be careful when opening the door because dogs can still go through