Thousands of dog attacks on postal workers reported in 2016

A national report was released Thursday that ranks the cities that comprise the more than 6,000 dog attacks on postal employees. Of those, 35 happened in Phoenix.

"Even good dogs have bad days", U.S.P.S. Safety Director Linda DeCarlo said.

That's the warning from local postal officials after a new report puts Indianapolis among the top cities for the number of attacks by dogs on mail carriers.

Fresno and Sacramento make the list of the 30 most dog-bitten cities.

It said if a letter carrier delivers mail or packages to a front door, place the dog in a separate room. If the dog is seen roaming the neighborhood, the owner's neighbors also may be asked to pick up their mail at the area's post office. This precaution is urged because dogs sometime burst through screen or glass doors.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week starts on Saturday and runs through April 15.

The "dog chasing the mail carrier" gimmick has been played out in movies, cartoons, and in comics for ages but did you know that there were actual numbers tracking them?

When an unrestrained dog threatens a letter carrier, mail delivery for that address is suspended and returned to the post office, according to a USPS fact sheet.

Overall, an estimated 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs annually, mostly children.

Keep your dogs secured!

Such attacks rose last year to 6,755, up 206 from the previous year and the highest in three decades.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Customers who use the service's package pickup application are asked to indicate whether dogs are present, and that information is provided to carriers' scanners.

Hand said most dog bites are preventable.

Robert Lieb, a professor of supply chain management at Northeastern University, said he expects dog attacks to keep increasing.