Miami, FL --- The number of postal employees attacked by dogs nationwide reached 6,244 in 2017 — more than 500 fewer than 2016. However, Miami ranked in the Top 30 cities for dog attacks last year.

The U.S. Postal Service is showcasing technology that alerts mail carriers of potential attacks while releasing its annual list of cities where the most dog attacks were recorded. The USPS also highlights safety initiatives to help protect its employees and offers tips to pet owners.

“We’re encouraged by the decrease in dog attacks,” said U.S. Postal Service Safety Director Linda DeCarlo in San Diego, where postal employees suffered 46 attacks — the fifth ranked city in 2017.  “The totals are still too high, but we’re confident that with continuing education and dog bite prevention training, along with advancing technology, we can keep more people safe and keep attacks trending downward.”

DeCarlo highlights USPS safety measures that alert mail carriers to dogs on their delivery routes. The Package Pickup application on usps.com   asks customers to indicate if there are dogs at their addresses when they schedule package pickups.  This information is provided to carriers on their delivery scanners which send alerts if an unleashed dog is reported in a delivery area.

“The scanners that our carriers use to confirm a customer’s delivery include a feature for them to indicate the presence of a dog at an individual address,” said DeCarlo. “This information particularly is helpful for substitute carriers who fill in for regular carriers on their days off.”

DeCarlo was in San Diego earlier this week to kick off National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which runs through Saturday, April 14. DeCarlo gave the following tips:

•  If a carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. Some dogs burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to attack visitors. Dog owners should keep the family pet secured.
•  Parents should remind their children and other family members not to take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet, as the dog may view the person handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.
•  The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. If a carrier feels threatened by a dog, or if a dog is loose or unleashed, the owner may be asked to pick up mail at a Post Office until the carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If a dog is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner’s neighbors also may be asked to pick up their mail at the area’s Post Office.

Insurance company State Farm reports that in 2017, it paid more than $132 million as a result of 3,618 dog-related injury claims. The average cost paid per claim was $36,573.

“State Farm is also one of the few insurance companies that do not exclude homeowner or renter insurance coverage because of the breed of dog owned,” said Heather Paul, State Farm public affairs specialist. “The company reinforces that responsible pet ownership and educating children about how to safely interact with dogs are the key to reducing dog bites.”

Please see below for the top 30 city rankings. Some cities share the same rankings as they experienced the same number of attacks.

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