Letter carriers attacked by dogs! How YOU can help to keep them safe

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Every day Juan Casiano is out delivering mail, but frequently he runs into what can be a scary situation.

"Suddenly what I was trying to avoid, it happened," said Casiano.

It was last November when he delivered mail to a home, and when the woman answered the door her dog went into attack mode.

"By the time I realized the dog was coming because it was just a couple of feet away, I didn`t have a chance to react. So by that time I had the dog hanging on my leg," said Casiano.

That's why postal workers are asking people to be mindful of their dog and to keep it indoors.

Postal officials say 5,600 letter carriers were bitten by dogs in 2013.

"When it happens where they go after you they say I don`t understand I`ve never seen my dog do that before and as I said it`s something about the uniform or we`re on their territory that triggers this reaction in the dog,' said Postal Service Customer Relations Coordinator Leon Van Vooren.

Doctors say if you become a victim of a dog bite you should always seek medical attention.

"They need to be thoroughly irrigated, washed out, cleaned, try to remove any risk of further infection and because these are high risk wounds for infection we typically will start patients on antibiotics," said Dr. Michael Urban with Aurora Medical Center.

Letter carriers always try to make their presence known before opening a gate in case they don't see the dog, and they carry pepper spray as a precaution.

Luckily for Casiano he's okay, but all letter carriers need your help to ensure their safety for the future.

Letter carriers have the right to suspend mail to a home if a person refuses to keep their dog in a safe place when the mail arrives.

If this happens, you'll need to contact the post office to get your mail.