What:

A media opportunity to shadow a USPS Letter Carrier during USPS National Dog Bite Awareness month. Heavy dog route; walking shoes suggested.

Who:

Letter Carrier, Patricia Gilmore, U.S. Postal Service
Safety Engagement Leader, Cherice Harris, U.S. Postal Service

When:

Wednesday, June 18, 2025, 11 a.m.

Where:

Cross streets: 130th block of Broadway and El Segundo Blvd
(address provided upon rsvp)

Please RSVP to natashi.l.garvins@usps.gov to coordinate interview.

Background:

As part of the USPS 2025 National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign, the organization is offering crucial information on how dog owners can be good stewards for safe mail delivery and ensure the safety of mail carriers. Incidents involving dog attacks on Postal Service employees rose to more than 6,000 cases last year; the city of Los Angeles experienced 77 dogs bite in 2025, the largest of any city in the nation

Dog Owners Can Help With Safe Mail Delivery

Many of us are dog lovers, but few of us are dog experts. Even dogs that have never shown signs of aggression can react in ways their owners don’t expect. They can act without warning on their instinct to protect their owners and their owners’ property. Dogs may attack not only to defend their territory, but also when they feel startled, anxious or unwell. It’s not just about bad or aggressive dogs — it’s about unpredictable moments.

Most people know the approximate time their letter carrier arrives every day. Securing your dog before the carrier approaches your property will minimize any potentially dangerous interactions.

Keep your dog in a separate room or area away from the door when the mail carrier comes to your house. If you go outside, close the door firmly behind you and make sure it is secured so your dog doesn’t slip out or bust through it unexpectedly. If you are outside with your dog while mail is being delivered, make sure your dog is secured away from the mail carrier and on a leash. Never accept the mail from your mail carrier in the presence of your dog.

Pet owners also should remind children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier because the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child.

The Cost of a Dog Attack

When a postal employee suffers an injury from a dog attack, it can cost the dog owner thousands of dollars because they could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering for the employee.

“This year, the Postal Service has extended the national campaign from a week to a month; our customers must understand how important it is for us to have their help. In Los Angeles, dog bite awareness is not only in June but in all year long. Since schools are releasing children for summer break, we know we will be encountering more dogs out on the routes.  Sadly, some customers will not be as proactive as we need them to be, so this campaign is a way to help educate them,” says Marci Luna, Los Angeles Postmaster.

If a dog attacks, carriers are trained to stand their ground and protect their body by placing something between them and the dog — such as a mail satchel — and to use dog repellent, if necessary. Extensive trainings are provided to every carrier to remain safe while on their route, but dog owners are ultimately responsible for the actions of their pets including lost wages, pain & suffering, and medical expenses of the injured postal employee.

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