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Houston continues to lead nation in dog attacks on postal workers
FOX 26 Reporter Randy Wallace speaks with area experts who say they city's stray problem might be to blame.
HOUSTON - U.S. postal carriers in Houston are more likely to get bitten by a dog than anywhere else in the country.
"Last year we had 85 dog incidents so it's pretty big," said Nikki Johnson communications specialist for the U.S. Postal Service. "We've been number one three times consecutively."
Johnson says most dog attacks on postal carriers are preventable.
"We ask that you restrain the dog put it in another room or. Politely step out and close the door to make sure it's safe before your encounter with the letter carrier," Johnson said.
While owned pets are responsible for most of the attacks on postal carriers non-profits like Houston PetSet worry our growing stray animal population could cause even more dog attacks on postal carriers and others.
"The problem is getting worse," said Houston PetSet co-Founder Tena Lundquist Faust. "The shelters have limited intake because of COVID that's left thousands more animals on our streets and our concern is not only the welfare of the animals but the citizens of Houston."
For the first time ever a fourth of Houstonians responding to the 2020 Rice Kinder Institute survey pointed to the stray animal population as a quality of life concern in Houston.
"25 percent of Houstonians said that stray animals were a major concern for them," Lundquist said. "When you think about our population and the number of people that affects its Avery large number."
For more information go to Houston PetSet