TYLER — More than 6,000 dogs attacked mail carriers last year, including six right here in Tyler.
As part of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, the U.S Postal Service wants pet owners to do their part to help keep carriers safe.
Toiniette Wallace has been a mail carrier for three years.
"I've gotten bitten," Wallace said. "He broke the chain on me, and it was a thick chain."
She's no stranger to this issue.
"I was going back to the truck, I got ready to step back in the truck, and he just got my leg," Wallace said.
She's one of the six who got bitten on the job in Tyler last year.
Acting Tyler Postmaster, Michael Arrambidez, said, "We have carriers out there every day, and accidents with dogs is a top priority for us to prevent them."
His employee's safety is a top priority to him.
"It injures the employee, we're out without a carrier for a duration of time, and it's also mentally for that carrier to go back to that house, it'd be hard on them to do that as well," Arrambidez said.
While the postal trucks are equipped with certain technology to alert workers about problem areas where dogs are an issue, Arrambidez said it really comes down to customers helping out.
"Keep the dog restrained in another room, if they answer the door, make sure the dog is not in sight, some doors jump through the screen door, knock the door over, bite the carrier," Arrambidez said.
He also said to not let kids get the mail, because dogs are often more protective with children.
As for Wallace, she has her own advice for her fellow carriers.
"Just be on the lookout for them," Wallace said. "Keep your spray with you, your dog spray in the bag satchel, so if you have to you can put it in-between you and the dog."
Arrambidez said if a dog does bite the carrier, they'll be put in quarantine, and mail will no longer get delivered to that home.
They'll have to pick it up from a P.O. box at the post office.
The postal service also has an application online for pickups, asking customers to indicate if they have dogs at the address so the carrier can be aware.