June 12, 2020

U.S. Postal Service Releases Dog Attack National Rankings

National Dog Bite Awareness Week Starts June 14

U.S. Postal Service Releases Dog Attack National Rankings

ARKANSAS — The number of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees attacked by dogs nationwide fell to 5,803 in 2019 — more than 200 fewer than in 2018 and more than 400 fewer since 2017. USPS highlights technology that helps reduce potential attacks, while releasing its annual list of cities with the most recorded dog attacks. Arkansas had a total of 45 incidents for Calendar Year 2019. The organization also highlights safety initiatives to help protect its employees and offers tips to pet owners as part of the Postal Service’s National Dog Bite Awareness Week, which runs Sunday, June 14, through Saturday, June 20.

“Even during these difficult times, it’s important for our customers to understand that letter carriers are still coming to homes daily and need to deliver mail safely,” said USPS Safety Awareness Program Manager Chris Johnson. “We are confident we can keep moving the trends of attacks downward, and ramping up overall awareness for everyone is the best way to do that.”

Tips and Technology

According to Johnson, technology supports carrier safety in two ways: Mobile Delivery Devices, handheld scanners used by carriers to confirm customer delivery, include a feature to indicate the presence of a dog at an individual address. And the Informed Delivery service alerts customers to mail and packages coming to their homes, allowing them to plan for the carrier’s arrival by securing dogs safely. Customers can receive more information and sign up for Informed Delivery at informeddelivery.usps.com.

The Postal Service offers the following safety tips:

  • When a letter 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. Dogs have been known to burst through screen doors or plate glass windows to attack visitors.
  • Parents should remind children and other family members not to take mail directly from letter carriers in the presence of the family pet. The dog may view the letter carrier handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.
  • If a letter 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 location or another facility until the letter carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If the 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 location.

2019 Dog Attack Rankings by City

A total of 5,803 USPS employees were attacked by dogs in 2019. The top 20 rankings comprise 31 cities, as some cities reported the same number of attacks:

City State 2019
HOUSTON TX 85
LOS ANGELES CA 74
CHICAGO IL 54
CLEVELAND OH 51
DALLAS TX 40
COLUMBUS OH 35
PHILADELPHIA PA 34
TOLEDO OH 32
DENVER CO 30
SAN DIEGO CA 29
BALTIMORE MD 29
LOUISVILLE KY 28
SAN ANTONIO TX 28
FORT WORTH TX 27
DETROIT MI 26
CINCINNATI OH 26
SACRAMENTO CA 25
KANSAS CITY MO 25
EL PASO TX 25
MEMPHIS TN 24
PHOENIX AZ 23
ST LOUIS MO 22
ALBUQUERQUE NM 22
LONG BEACH CA 21
JACKSONVILLE FL 21
INDIANAPOLIS IN 21
CHARLOTTE NC 21
SEATTLE WA 21
MINNEAPOLIS MN 20
DAYTON OH 20

Top 10 Dog Bite States:

State 2019 2018
CA 777 794
TX 491 462
OH 378 304
IL 323 273
NY 320 339
MI 238 224
PA 237 252
FL 229 198
NJ 169 147
NC 162 169

For more data related to your area, contact your local USPS Corporate Communications professional.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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