Memo of the Month.

• Position: U.S. POSTAL SERVICE ANNOUNCES `TOP 10 DOG BIT CITIES' DURING NATIONAL DOG PREVENTION WEEK - Brief Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 21, 1999 Release No. 46

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE ANNOUNCES `TOP 10 DOG BIT CITIES' DURING NATIONAL DOG PREVENTION WEEK

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Postal Service reported today that of 2,541 dog bit victims -- a six percent drop from last year -- more postal employees were bitten in Houston than any other U.S. city last year.

Top 10 Dog Bite Cities Fiscal Year 1998 (mid-Sept. 1997 to mid-Sept. 1998)

City Dog Bites 1. Houston, Texas 49 2. Chicago, Ill. 37 3. Miami, Fla. 35 4. Los Angeles, Calif. 32 5. Brooklyn, N.Y. 22 6. Cleveland, Ohio 20 7. (*) Buffalo, N.Y., Jamaica, N.Y. 17 8. (*) Dallas, Detroit 16 9. (*) Richmond, Va., San Antonio and San Francisco 15 10. (*) Baltimore, Boston, Phoenix 14 (*) tie

Dog bites to postal employees peaked during the mid-1980s when more than 7,000 letter carriers were attacked annually. Through aggressive employees training and public education programs that statistic has dropped by more than two-thirds.

Last year's drop of 167 dog bits to 2,541 pales in comparison to the estimated 4.7 million American bitten last year. More alarming is that 60 percent of the victims were small children and 900 times as likely to be bitten as a letter carrier.

To convey the message that dog bites are a societal issue, and to promote responsible pet ownership, the U.S. Postal Service and The Humane Society of the United States is sponsoring the fifth National Dog Bite Protection Week, May 16 - 22.

This year, to continue emphasizing the seriousness of this public safety issue, post offices nationwide will coordinate educational activities throughout the summer. Postmaster will work with local humane societies and animal care and control officials to provide...