<p>The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) sends its carriers out to make <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href=" target="_blank">mail deliveries</a> six days a week—or even seven, depending on where you live. However, delivery is not guaranteed. USPS workers are pulled from their routes if there is a concern, such as dangerous weather conditions or roads. Now, the agency warns customers that regular service could be affected if certain adjustments aren’t made. Find out what changes you need to make immediately to comply with the USPS.</p>
<p><strong>READ THIS NEXT: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href=" target="_blank">USPS Is Making More Changes to Your Mail, Starting June 13</a>.</strong></p>
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<div class="title">The USPS sounded the alarm on a safety issue for its carriers.</div>
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<p>Postal carriers put up with a lot to make sure your mail gets to you—including the possibility of animal attacks, according to the USPS. In a May 25 local <a rel="noopener noreferrer external nofollow" href=" target="_blank" data-citation="true">press release</a>, the Postal Service revealed that more than 5,300 of its employees were attacked by dogs while making deliveries in 2022.</p>
<p>"Aggressive dog behavior is a common safety concern USPS employees face," the agency said.</p>
<p>The Postal Service will launch its annual National Dog Bite Awareness Week, which is held every June 4, to raise awareness of this danger. The theme for this year's campaign is "even good dogs have bad days," according to the agency.</p>
<p>"When our mail carriers are bitten, it is usually a 'good dog' that had not previously behaved in a menacing way," USPS Occupational Safety and Health Senior Director <strong>Linda DeCarlo</strong> said in a statement. "In 2022, too many aggressive dogs impacted the lives of our employees while delivering the mail. Please help us to reduce this number by being responsible pet owners who secure their dog while we deliver the post."</p>
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<div class="title">The agency is asking customers to make certain adjustments to prevent animal attacks.</div>
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<p>USPS’s National Dog Bite Awareness program puts the spotlight on their customers. The agency said this year's initiative "emphasizes the need for increased owner responsibility in the prevention of dog attacks."</p>
<p>That means you may need to make certain changes for your mail deliveries to prevent an incident from occurring between your dog and a Postal Service worker.</p>
<p>"Pet owners are asked to wait for the carrier to leave the area before opening the door to get their mail or package," the USPS said in a separate local <a rel="noopener noreferrer external nofollow" href=" target="_blank" data-citation="true">press release</a>. "Too many dogs have slipped between an owner's legs while the door is open and attacking the carrier."</p>
<p>To further prevent problems, the Postal Service asks that dogs in the home be restrained or kept in another room while mail deliveries are being made.</p>
<p>"If dogs are outside, make sure they are properly restrained and out of reach of a mail carrier," the agency added.</p>
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<div class="title">These are not the only changes you may need to make.</div>
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<p>The Postal Service also brought to light a different issue for carriers during another recent public campaign: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href=" target="_blank">damaged mailboxes</a>.</p>
<p>Per a May 15 local <a rel="noopener noreferrer external nofollow" href=" target="_blank" data-citation="true">press release</a>, the agency held its annual Mailbox Improvement Week during the third week of May to "encourage customers to examine and, where necessary, improve the appearance of their mailboxes."</p>
<p>As part of its Mailbox Improvement campaign, the USPS has asked homeowners to make sure their mailboxes are safe to use, designed to protect the mail from weather, conveniently located, neat in appearance, and in-line with approval regulations from the Postmaster General.</p>
<p>"Repairing mailboxes improves the security, accessibility, and appearance of their mailboxes which makes delivering and receiving mail safer for our carriers and customers," USPS Tennessee District Manager <strong>Omar Coleman</strong> said in a statement.</p>
<p>You may need to make some adjustments in order to keep yours in top shape. Included are common repairs such as replacing the hinges of your mailbox, repainting rusted or peeling mailboxes, remounting loose mailbox posts, or replacing or adding home numbers.</p>
<p>You can also consider trading out your old, worn-out mailbox for a new one altogether—but be aware that you "must use only Postal Service–approved traditional, contemporary or locking full/limited-service mailboxes," Coleman added.</p>
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<div class="title">Your delivery service can be suspended if you don't make these changes.</div>
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<p>If you rely on getting your mail on a regular basis, you'll want to heed these requests from the USPS. You could lose your mail delivery service this summer if you don’t comply.</p>
<p>As the USPS warns <a rel="noopener noreferrer external nofollow" href=" target="_blank" data-citation="true">on its website</a>, both loose dogs and damaged or broken mailboxes at your home can prevent your mail from getting delivered.</p>
<p>"Delivery service may be temporarily withdrawn when animals interfere with our ability to complete mail delivery. Owners must confine their dogs during delivery hours," the agency says, noting that even one loose dog can potential affect deliveries for an entire neighborhood. "Mail delivery will resume as soon as the Postal Service is confident the animal is no longer a threat."</p>
<p>In terms of <a rel="noopener noreferrer external nofollow" href=" target="_blank" data-citation="true">personal mailboxes</a>, property owners are responsible for maintaining them and making any repairs when necessary, according to the USPS. If you don't correct issues, you "risk having your mail service suspended until the problems are resolved," the Postal Service says.</p>
Best Life published the post USPS Asks You to Change Mail Delivery Starting Now.
