Postal workers display dog bite scars

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- It may be funny when Blondie and Dagwood's dog Daisy chases the mailman, but the U.S. Postal Service and the Humane Society say dog bites are no laughing matter.

More than 4.5 million people, including 2,000 mail carriers, are bitten by dogs each year, according to the Postal Service. More than $100 million is spent treating dog bite injuries at emergency rooms nationwide, said Leslie Sinclair of the Humane Society of the United States.

In response, the two groups have declared next week "National Dog Bite Prevention Week."

Some prevention tips they offered:

• Spay or neuter your dogs. Dogs that have not been spayed or neutered are three times more likely to bite.
• Don't disturb a dog while it is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies.

"To perform their jobs successfully, letter carriers visit every home in every neighborhood, six days a week," said Michael Shinay, vice president of the Postal Service.

"With their safety at stake, the Postal Service is taking all steps necessary to make sure that dog owners keep their pets restrained."