Mail carriers are becoming increasingly concerned due to the high rate of dog biting incidents that are being reported

Nancy Graham is a mail carrier in Modesto, California. One fateful day in December, Graham was bitten by a dog on her route. The result was 10 stitches on her arm and being forced to miss work for a week.

If anything though, Graham is lucky. Lucky her injuries were not worse and lucky that this is the first time she's been attacked.

Graham was very familiar with the dog - she walked by the pit bull in northwest Modesto every day on her route. And every day, without fail, the dog growled and barked threateningly at Graham, lunging against a fence that served as the only barrier between the two.

But on that day in December, the owners apparently forgot to lock the gate. When Graham walked by, and the dog began its vicious routine, the gate in the fence burst wide open and the snarling dog came charging out at a defenseless Graham.

"It came up from behind and locked on to my arm," Graham said. "I was screaming. It wouldn't let go. It probably only lasted a couple seconds, but it felt like forever."

Graham was also extremely lucky that, given the time of year, she was wearing a heavy sweater and jacket that day. Even still, the dog's teeth tore through the fabric and Graham's skin. She needed 10 stitches and a week off from work to recover.

"I had to deal with it emotionally, too," Graham said. "I needed some time to hide under my blankets, just get away from it for a while."

Unfortunately, this is a story that far too many mail carriers in the United States can relate to. Dogs are attacking postal workers at an alarming rate, U.S. Postal Service officials have said.

Since October 1, 2005, according to an official report from the Postal service, in the Sacramento district alone, there have been 215 dog "incidents," which forced a carrier to take evasive action to avoid a vicious dog. During that same 18 month period, 84 letter carriers have been bitten or attacked by dogs on their route.

In Modesto, there have been 17 incidents and five bites this year already, Modesto Postmaster Cory Sandobal said.

And the worst may be yet to come.

April is traditionally the most dangerous time of year for postal carriers, because as the weather is generally pleasant, neither too hot or too cold, owners are more apt to leave their animals outdoors for extended periods of time, Sandobal said.

"Fortunately, we have not had any major injuries this year," he said. "But it's just a matter of time before those serious injuries can happen."

To educate mail carriers about potential dog0related dangers, Animal Control officials from the Modesto Police Department visited the Kearney Avenue post office on Friday.

Police assistant Dallas Brunetti urged carriers to call Animal Control whenever they encounter a dog displaying "vicious" behavior, which can include charging, growling, barking or biting.

"We have zero tolerance on dog aggression," Brunetti said. "Any dog that attacks will be impounded for a 10-day quarantine and all other violations will be pursued. We want to get rid of the dog problem for you."

Any dog that bites a human is placed in a 10-day quarantine at the county animal shelter, Brunetti said.

If a dog exhibits vicious behavior, its owner can be fined up to $100 per incident, per dog. If officers cite the same dog within 12 months, the fine is doubled, then tripled, and so on, Brunetti said. If problems with a dog persist, authorities have the power to seize the dog.

Lawsuits are also possible in some cases, and the Postal Service encourages carriers who have been bitten to sue the responsible owners.

"We aggressively pursue lawsuits … to recover the cost of recovery, as well as pain and suffering," said Darrell Hacker, the president of the local Letter Carriers Union. "There are so many potential dangers. The perception of the public is that their dog is the only one we run into every day. They don't think about all the other dogs out there."

Dog owners can face $100 fines for lesser infractions, including leash law violations, unlicensed dogs, dogs not wearing proper tags or dogs that are roaming free off their property.

To help carriers identify potential problem areas, carrier Steve Rice, who has been bitten three times in his short seven-year career, created a "Dog Alert" system last year.

The alerts are boldly printed on bright yellow cardboard. When the mail is electronically sorted, the alerts are automatically placed alongside letters delivered to addresses where a dog threat is known to exist.

Rice has a 7-year-old shepherd mix named Cosmo. Graham has a 5-year-old Jack Russell terrier she calls Raider.

"Everyone says, 'My dog is nice, they won't attack,'" Graham said. "I had someone say that to me right before their dog ran at me."

"There's just something about mail carriers that dogs don't like," she added. "I haven't figured out what it is yet."