City of Spokane ranked nationally for dog bites against carriers: ‘There are way too many carriers getting bitten by dogs every year’

Letter carrier Curt Rein has had the same north Spokane route for the past 18 years, so when he drops off mail at a house where he knows a dog is inside, he uses a list of safety precautions to make sure he is not attacked.

The city of Spokane saw 10 dog attacks on postal employees in 2023, placing it at 28th in the nation for reported dog bites last year, said Kim Frum, United States Postal Service strategic communications specialist, at an event in Spokane Thursday meant to demonstrate how postal employees approach homes with dogs.

The state of Washington had 108 dog attacks in 2023.

“Dogs are territorial by nature. They like to protect their family. They like to protect their pack,” Frum said. “There are way too many carriers getting bitten by dogs every year.”

Rein said he began working as a letter carrier in 2005. During his career, some dogs have bitten his leg and clothes, despite seeming friendly, so he makes sure dogs are inside of the home when he approaches it.

Dogs are a lot like people and have their own personalities, and even some of the nicest dogs can have bad days.

Rein said it is smart for dog owners to keep their dogs inside during business hours.

If there is a knock on the door for a package delivery, he suggests keeping the dog in a separate room while answering because dogs can even see the act of handing over a package as a threat.

Rein has some safety precautions when he approaches a house, even if a dog is not visible.

He said he will rattle a gate or find other ways to make noise to see if a dog will come running. It is part of his job’s safety protocol to not approach a house until a dog is put inside or is on a leash in the yard. The safety protocol includes not approaching the house if the door is open because there is no way of knowing whether a dog will run through the house while dropping off mail.

Frum said dogs act on instinct, which does not mean that they are bad or that mail carriers are anti-dog, but owners should be training dogs to behave properly when a mail carrier comes around.

Emerson/Garfield resident Athena Calamia is on Rein’s mail route and knows when he shows up every day.

When adopting her 9-month-old labradoodle, Riley, she knew she would need a dog that could easily be trained so she could help make sure Rein feels safe when completing his daily route.

“Curt is a great guy. We love seeing him and talking to him,” she said.

Calamia and her family, who also own an AirBnB on the property, socialize Riley to make sure he is approachable, but also spend time training him to go inside of the house when asked. The family adopted Riley seven months ago, and after working on training him, he developed a good attitude and can respond to commands right away.

Rein knows from experience how important that is. He was once bitten while on the job when a dog ran through an open gate, and he now has a scar on his knee from the attack.

“Nobody wants to be bit,” Rein said. “We just want to stay safe out there.”