Los Angeles Reigns as Top City for Dogs Biting Postal Carriers
Last year, U.S. Postal Service employees suffered more than 5,200 dog attacks. To combat this, USPS is sharing vital safety guidance to help pet owners protect mail carriers and ensure uninterrupted mail delivery. Postal Service Names Top Cities and States for Dog Attacks on Mail Carriers - Newsroom - About.usps.com
Armed with Awareness: How Carriers Prevent Dog Bites
Postal carriers undergo extensive safety training to spot potential canine hazards. Carriers are instructed to remain vigilant and exercise the precautions below:
- Announce entry. Rattle a fence gate or make a non-threatening sound before walking into a yard.
- Maintain visual contact. Never startle an animal and always keep eyes locked on the dog.
- Assume dog poses risk Avoid petting or feeding any animal on the assumption that any dog has the potential to bite.
- Block exits. Secure outward-swinging doors with a foot to prevent a pet from escaping.
If a dog attacks, carriers are trained to stand their ground, use their mail satchel as a protective shield and deploy dog repellent if necessary. To stay ahead of these risks, USPS also provides carriers with awareness tools, including handheld scanners that feature built-in dog warning alerts and physical warning cards that are placed into mail sorting cases to alert a carrier of a dog at a certain address.
The top 10 worst cities for dog attacks against letter carriers in 2025 were:
- LOS ANGELES: 70
- DALLAS: 50
- DENVER: 45
- HOUSTON: 44
- CHICAGO: 43
- ST. LOUIS: 40
- INDIANAPOLIS: 35
- SAN DIEGO: 32
- SAN ANTONIO: 31
- CLEVELAND: 30
|
2025 Dog Bite/Dog Incident Data |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
State |
Number of Incidents |
Ranking |
|
|
1 |
California |
673 |
1 |
|
2 |
Texas |
358 |
2 |
|
3 |
Ohio |
287 |
3 |
|
4 |
New York |
269 |
4 |
|
5 |
Pennsylvania |
267 |
5 |
|
6 |
Illinois |
260 |
6 |
|
7 |
Florida |
183 |
7 |
|
8 |
Missouri |
182 |
8 |
|
9 |
Michigan |
174 |
9 |
|
10 |
Indiana |
159 |
10 |
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