What:

More than 5,300 Postal Service employees were attacked by dogs while delivering the mail last year. Aggressive dog behavior is a common safety concern USPS employees face. To keep its workers safe, the organization is providing important information on how dog owners can be good stewards for safe mail delivery as part of its annual National Dog Bite Awareness Week public service campaign.

The campaign runs Sunday, June 4, through Saturday, June 10. This year’s theme is “Even good dogs have bad days.” Spread the news of the campaign with the hashtag #dogbiteawareness.

Detroit’s Brightmoor Station is holding a Press Conference to talk about the concerns and effects associated with dog attacks and how to avoid an incident.
A Special Presentation is also being made to the City of Detroit Animal Control Manager Marita Slack.

“When our mail carriers are bitten, it is usually a ‘good dog’ that had not previously behaved in a menacing way,” said USPS Occupational Safety and Health Senior Director Linda DeCarlo. “In 2022, too many aggressive dogs impacted the lives of our employees while delivering the mail. Please help us reduce that number by being a responsible pet owner who secures their dog as we deliver the mail.”

When:

Thursday, June 8, 2023 at 8:15 a.m.

Where:

Brightmoor Station
20615 Fenkell
Detroit, MI  48219

Who:

Letter Carrier Dexter Myles who was recently attacked and bitten by a dog.
Richard Moreton, District Manager, Michigan 1 District
Ron Morris, Postmaster, City of Detroit
Marita Slack, Manager, City of Detroit Animal Control

Background:

National Dog Bite Awareness Week is a USPS-sponsored public service campaign that offers safety tips and emphasizes the need for increased owner responsibility in the prevention of dog attacks.
During National Dog Bite Awareness Week, dog owners are provided tips for protecting mail carriers while making their rounds:

• 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.

• Sign up for Informed Delivery. You’ll know when parcels are being delivered in advance of the actual delivery and can take precautions to keep your carrier safe.

Below is a list of the U.S. cities with the highest number of dog bites of USPS mail carriers during 2022. Detroit is 10th on this list, with a total of 30 dog bite attacks of mail carriers.

2022 Dog Attack Rankings by City

Calendar Year 2022
City	State	2022	Rank
HOUSTON	TX	57	1
LOS ANGELES	CA	48	2
DALLAS	TX	44	3
CLEVELAND	OH	43	4
SAN DIEGO	CA	39	5
CHICAGO	IL	36	6
ST. LOUIS	MO	34	7
KANSAS CITY	MO	33	8
PHOENIX	AZ	32	9
SAN ANTONIO	TX	32	9
DETROIT	MI	30	10

Top 10 Dog Bite States:

State	2021	2022
CA	656	675
TX	368	404
NY	239	321
PA	281	313
OH	359	311
IL	226	245
FL	201	220
MI	244	206
MO	161	166
NC	126	146

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