Canada Post appeals to dog owners

BY ELYSE AMEND

elyse.amend@transcontinental.ca

In preparing for the dog days of summer, Canada Post launched a canine awareness campaign alerting pet owners to the dangers their furry friends may pose to delivery personnel.

“It’s a real problem,” said Christiane Ouimet, a Canada Post spokesperson. “All dog owners say their dog is well behaved. But any dog can bite, no matter what breed or what size.”

According to Ouimet, Canada Post employees were involved in over 500 dog related incidents last year, 67 of which happened in Quebec. The physical and emotional effects of a dog bite can last for a very long time, she added.

“There are the psychological injuries, too,” Ouimet said, telling the story of one letter carrier who was pushed down a second-storey flight of stairs by a dog. “He’s still being treated. He has an injured knee and has some big problems with it. He can’t work, he can’t play sports, or do other things. It’s had a real impact.”

Patrick Baylis, 33-year-old letter carrier who delivers in Pierrefonds, said he has been involved in a few dog-related incidents and was bitten once.

“It was a mistake on my part. When I started, I wanted to get to know the people on my route, and a number of them had dogs, so I wanted to get to know the dogs, too. I’m an animal person, so I’m not afraid of dogs,” said the Two Mountains resident who has worked for Canada Post for eight years and has had his own route for five. “Instead of hold my hand low, I held it too high and he thought I was a threat, so he (a black Labrador Retriever) bit me.”

Baylis had to get a tetanus shot, but was able to return to work the next day. Since the dog bite incident, Baylis said he hasn’t had any other serious problems. Out of the approximately 500 homes he delivers to, he said there are only three homes with dogs he would feel nervous about if they got loose.

“I have dog repellent, but I haven’t actually used it,” he said, adding this is standard for all delivery personnel. “I’m six-four, 250 pounds, so when I use my booming voice, it’s a little intimidating for the dogs, I guess.”

But this might not be the case for other delivery workers.

“Not everyone is my size, and some people are afraid of dogs,” Baylis said.

Both he and Ouimet said the best way to avoid any incidents is for owners to keep dogs on a leash if they are outside, or keep aggressive dogs in the house when the delivery person comes by.

“It’s the best way of reducing the risk,” Ouimet said.