Amazon employees are bitten by dogs more than 8,000 times per year; many of these incidents result in permanent injuries like nerve damage, all the way up to death. Drivers are often required to deliver over 300 packages daily & face potential danger each time they step out of their vehicles. They are also subject to delivering in extremely high crime areas & very rural areas where help is very far away. These places may have bears, lions, coyotes, bobcats, etc in addition to aggressive off leash dogs.

I am an Amazon driver. On just my second day of work in a very nice area, I experienced an encounter with an aggressive dog. Despite taking all necessary precautions, I heard angry barking from several houses away swiftly approach me while I was in the middle of a delivery. The dog stopped just a few feet away from me, barking & growling aggressively with its hackles raised. I realized how defenseless I was if this dog had truly wanted to hurt me.

Despite all the risk, carrying pepper spray or bear spray is grounds for termination at Amazon. This policy leaves us vulnerable and without any means of protecting ourselves.

I urge Amazon to revise its policies and allow its delivery drivers to carry reasonable items as a measure of self defense against potential animal or human attacks. It's time that our safety is prioritized over policy restrictions that leave us defenseless against such threats.

Please sign this petition if you believe that every worker deserves the right to be safe while on the job.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/amazon-worker-found-dead-yard-suspected-mauling-dogs/story?id=92052463