Canada Post calls on dog owners to keep everyone safe this summer during deliveries
With the weather improving and more people venturing outside with their furry friends, Canada Post is asking residents to be mindful of their animals this summer.
Canada Post delivers to millions of homes across Canada and an estimated 36 per cent of those homes have dogs.
Leslie Black is a delivery agent for Canada Post in the Capital Region and has been on the job for 25 years. She has been bitten by dogs on four separate occasions.
"One time was quite serious and it had me in the hospital and I had over 30-plus stiches," she said.
"I was off work for four months to recover from that."
The owner of that dog assumed Leslie’s knock on the door was from their house cleaner and opened the door. Seeing unfamiliar Leslie, the dog charged.
"It was a very aggressive dog, it had a history that I wasn’t aware of at the time," said the delivery agent.
"It just latched onto my leg and wouldn’t let go."
Canada Post delivery agent Leslie Black is pictured along her route in Oak Bay, B.C. (CTV News)
Canada Post says the risk of dog-related incidents for delivery employees increases in the spring and summer. This increase is partly because the weather gets warmer and more families are outdoors.
Canada Post has released a social media video reminding dog owners to be responsible when it comes to receiving their mail.
"It’s often a very innocent accident," said Black. "It just happens so quickly."
Canada Post has some tips for you, if you are a dog owner.
- If there isn’t a reason to open the door to receive your parcel, don’t.
- If you do have to open the door and sign for the package, make sure your dog is secured in a separate room.
- If at all possible, contain your dog in a fenced backyard.
"So if your dog bites, it’s going to hurt the person – but if your dog bites, it’s also going to hurt them and their future as a safe dog," said Mark Johnson, a professional dog trainer and owner of Zen Dogz.
"Once your dog bites it gets deemed a dangerous dog and then it has to be muzzled," he said.
Repeat offences could lead to the owners being forced to euthanize the dog.
Johnson says dogs can be unpredictable. Occasionally the friendliest of animals could become territorial and protective. If that happens, proper training is key.
"Get training," he said. "Get a professional take on the level of your dog’s intensity, then do some mock practices of people coming to the door and just calming your dog down and showing them that it’s safe," he said.
"Just be responsible with your dog, it’s for the dog, to keep your dog safe, that’s the key thing," he added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Dozens of U.S. deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.