Dog attacks on USPS workers rose last year. These cities saw the most attacks.
Mail theft on the rise as USPS fails to secure keys for mailboxes
Incidents involving dog attacks against U.S. Postal Service workers rose to more than 6,000 cases last year — a jump of at least 200 cases since 2023, the USPS said.
California saw the greatest number of incidents involving dog attacks, with 701 in 2024. Texas ranked second with 438 incidents, followed by Ohio with 350 incidents, the USPS said in a news release Thursday.
Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, Missouri and North Carolina rounded out the top 10 states with the most dog incidents.
Here are the top 10 U.S. cities for dog attacks in 2024, according to the USPS, and the number of incidents in each city:
Los Angeles — 77
Houston — 65
Chicago — 57
St. Louis — 47
Cincinnati — 44
Dallas — 43
Kansas City — 40
Cleveland — 40
San Diego — 35
Denver — 34
Dog owners might not realize their animals can attack a postal worker, but there are steps owners can take to ensure the safety of a carrier and that their mail won't be stopped, the USPS said.
"Dog bite attacks on postal employees are preventable," Leeann Theriault, USPS employee safety and health awareness manager, said in the USPS news release, during a promotional week to raise awareness around such incidents.
"The best way to keep safe from dog attacks is to recognize and promote the responsibility of pet ownership, such as teaching your dog appropriate behavior and commands and not allowing your dog to roam freely," Theriault said.
The USPS recommends securing dogs before the mail carrier arrives, as mail is generally delivered at a similar time every day, or keeping a dog secured on a leash if it is outside when a carrier arrives. It also says children should not take mail directly from a carrier, because the dog may view the person as a threat to the child.
A postal worker from Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, strongly encourages all dog owners to take precautions.
"I was recently delivering mail and a dog barged through a door and bit me on the wrist, which required me to seek medical treatment," Jonah Helfrich said in the USPS news release.
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