MAIL CARRIERS FIND DOGS TO BE NO JOKING MATTER

The mailman-dog relationship long has been a target for television writers and cartoonists.

They portray mailmen with patches torn out of their pants or dangling from a tree limb to avoid snapping teeth below.

For Rodger Snell, loose, vicious dogs are no joke. In 1991, he was delivering mail in a dark walkway and didn't see a black pit bull in the shadows. When he turned to walk away, the dog sunk its teeth into Snell's leg and wouldn't let go.

After several agonizing moments, he grabbed a hoe and clubbed the pit bull. The next few days were even more agonizing as the dog was quarantined and watched for signs of disease -- her litter of puppies had died not long before the attack.

Snell was back to work the next day and simply added the incident to his list of 16 dog attacks in 21 years as a carrier.

"Dogs just have this thing about a mail carrier with papers in his hand," he said. "I can walk up to a dog with no uniform and no papers and have no problem."

Whatever the cause of attacks, they would be nonexistent if Cape Girardeau residents followed the city's leash law, Postmaster Michael Keefe said. He hopes National Dog Bite Prevention Week, through Saturday, will remind people to keep their animals chained or inside the house.

Postal customers in problem areas received fliers advertising the event, which contained information about how to avoid being bitten and how to keep dogs from biting other people.

The last major dog attack on a postal carrier was over a year ago, when Mike Shelton was attacked by a pit bull and was out of work for week. Keefe said other post offices have reported carriers being completely disabled due to dog attacks.

When a carrier is bitten, the Postal Service tries to get compensation for expenses through homeowner's policies. Some carriers take dog owners to court themselves to receive a settlement.

If nothing is done to solve the problem, the Postal Service can permanently stop mail service to an address.

"The Postal Service doesn't want to withdraw mail service even for a day because it's a hassle," Keefe said. "We have to bring it back to the post office, mark it and try again the next day. But we will curtail service if dogs are a problem."

The Postal Service also involves police in the matter, and Keefe said animal control officer Chuck Stucker works well with mail carriers.

Stucker said there is an average of four dog bites a month in Cape Girardeau, more during some months, less during others.

Summer is the worst because more people are out, more dogs are out and dogs are irritable due to the heat.

TIPS ON DOG OWNERSHIP

National Dog Bite Prevention Week June 12-17. Here are some safety tips for you and your family.

How to avoid being bitten:

*Don't run past a dog. the dog's natural instinct is to chase and catch prey.

*If a dog threatens you, don't scream. Avoid eye contact, try to remain motionless until the dog leaves, then back away slowly until the dog is out of sight.

*Don't appraoch a strange dog, especially one that's tied or confined.

*Always let a dog see and sniff you before you pet the animal.

How to be a responsible owner:

*Spay or neuter your dog -- unneutered dogs are more likely to bite!

*When your letter carrier comes to your home, keep your dog inside, away from the door in another room or on a leash.

*Don't let your child take mail from the letter carrier in the presence of your dog. Your dog's instinct is to "protect" the family.

*Obedience training can teach your dog proper behavior and help you control your dog in any situation.