The risk of getting bitten by a dog in Cincinnati is sizable if you're a mail carrier. The Post Office says the city ranks eighth nationally when compared to cities its own size. But the USPS is taking steps to cut down on the attacks, including warning the carriers on Mobile Delivery Devices, or MDD.
Mark Bedel has delivered mail for the last five years, most recently in the Pendleton/Mt. Auburn area. "When you do your training at the very beginning when you get hired," he says, "they let you know right away that you are going to be dealing with dogs throughout your entire career and the chances of getting bit are pretty good."
Bedel used to carry paper cards with information about potential problem dogs, including the dog's name, whether or not the dog was friendly and the gate to enter. While the information was good, it increased the weight of his mail and sometimes it wasn't timely.
But with the MDD, there is a alarm tied to the GPS information. "You just can't ignore it. Until you acknowledge it, it will continue to go off," Bedel says.
Where Does The Data Come From?
The USPS sends out 3D postcards asking for information about your dog. You can also report it on the package pickup application at usps.com. It also sends that information to your neighbors without giving an exact address. Your neighbors and the mail carrier can also report the information.
How Do You Know Where Dog Attacks Were?
There is an interactive map here.
In Central and Southern Ohio, these are the cities with the most dog attacks in 2018:
- Columbus: 37
- Cincinnati: 23
- Dayton: 17
- Hamilton: 9
