Going to our local Post Office is one of our daily errands as we ship packages for our YUCKY PUPPY store and pick up our own mail. If it’s part of your regular list of errands, you may have wondered if dogs are allowed at the post office and if you can take your dog in with you.
Is the US Post Office Dog Friendly?
The US Post Office locations are NOT dog friendly. You are not permitted to bring your dog inside a post office.
You’ll need to leave your dog at home for trips to the PO or try to do as much as you can through the online USPS store.
Why aren’t dogs welcome in the post office? One reason may very well be because of the high number of postal employees that are the victims of dog bites every year. In 2021, over 5400 USPS employees received a dog bite while on their postal routes.
The USPS has had such a long history of problems with dogs attacking mail carriers that they launched National Dog Bite Awareness Week, a June event to bring awareness to the issue and how homeowners can help reduce the risk of a bad interaction between their dogs and the postal carriers.
Are Service Dogs Allowed in US Post Offices?
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a trained service dog is allowed to accompany his person in public places including post offices. This applies only to service dogs, not to emotional support dogs.
The USPS has published guidelines for postal clerks and other employees who may see a service dog entering a post office.
The Handbook PO-209, Retail Operations Handbook, published for USPS employees, has specific recommendations on service dogs in post offices:
“If it is not obvious that the animal is a service animal, the retail associate may ask, “Is this a service animal necessary for a disability?” or “Is this your pet?”
“You may not ask for proof or certification of the animal’s training, require special ID cards for the animal, or ask about the person’s disability.
“Retail associates may not ask a person to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the animal is out of control and the animal’s owner does not take effective action to control it, or (2) the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. In addition, a retail associate may not charge an extra fee for the service animal, keep the person with the service animal out of areas open to the general public, or separate the person from the service animal. Do not touch, feed, talk to, or otherwise distract any service animal without the owner’s permission.”
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