The U.S. Postal Service is issuing a plea to dog owners in Colorado this week. The organization wants help to keeping postal workers safe from dog bites.

According to USPS, more than 6,000 employees were attacked by dogs last year, and Colorado as the 22nd most dangerous state for dog bites. There were also 34 bites reported by Postal Service employees in Denver in 2024, which means the Colorado city was the 10th most dangerous city in the country for dog bites.

USPS workers got to meet with animal control experts to learn some safety advice on Tuesday. The advice included carrying dog repellant or dog horns to sound off if threatened and using satchels as a barrier.

Mail carrier Gerry Castro was among those receiving the advice.

"I was attacked by three dogs at a moment and if I didn't have my satchel with me as a guard and the spray, (the dogs) would have put me in the hospital for a long, long time," mail carrier Gerry Castro said.

"(A satchel) acts as a barrier between you and the dogs and it gave me enough time to fight them off."

Mail carriers also can use a device that alerts them when a dog is at a residence.