‘In an instant that dog was on me.’ Sacramento mail carriers ask for help with dog attacks

Sacramento’s Carol Mondine is one of the 5,800 mail carriers that was attacked by a dog last year.

“In an instant that dog was on me,” she said. “Had I not had my spray, to start deterring him … the attack would have just continued.”

Mondine credits her training in responding to the attack, but the bite left a gruesome hole in her left arm.

Sacramento is the 16th worst city in the country for dog attacks, according to the Postal Service, which is sponsoring a national awareness week to highlight the issue.

“This is a public health issue that can no longer be ignored,” said Sacramento Postmaster Doug Smith.

Tips from the Postal Service to avoid dog bites:

▪ If your dog is outdoors, keep it restrained during mail delivery times.

▪ If a letter carrier knocks on your front door, put an indoor dog in a separate room before answering.

▪ Remind children and other family members not to take mail from a letter carrier while in the presence of a dog.

If a letter carrier feels threatened by a dog that is not restrained outdoors, the Postal Service my require the owner to pick up mail at a Post Office.

“Dogs don’t act the same when they don’t have their owners around to show them how to act,” said animal control officer Aaron Unden. “When you’re not around … they’re not the animal that you would know.”