PHILADELPHIA —More than 5,300 postal employees were attacked by dogs in the United States in 2022. In Philadelphia, 28 carriers were attacked, which ranks 11th in major cities across America. Although this is a slight decline the state of PA overall saw an increase of 32 attacks to 313 in 2022.

From nips and bites to vicious attacks, aggressive dog behavior poses a serious threat to postal employees and the public. To highlight the enormity of this serious issue, the U.S. Postal Service is providing information on the do’s and don’ts of responsible dog ownership as part of its annual National Dog Bite Awareness Week public service campaign.

“Unfortunately, we continue to hover around the same number when it comes to Rover attacking our carriers,” said USPS spokesperson Paul Smith. “In Philadelphia we had 32 attacks in 2021 and 26 in 2020. However, PA as a whole spiked up. We are appealing to every dog owner to please be mindful of when our carriers are out in your neighborhood.”

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.

“Every year, thousands of postal employees are attacked by dogs as they deliver America’s mail. And while it’s a dog’s natural instinct to protect their family and home, we ask all customers to act responsibly by taking safety precautions with their dogs while the mail is being delivered,” said Philadelphia Postmaster Leroy Middleton. “When a carrier comes to the residence, keep the dog inside the house and away from the door — or behind a fence on a leash — to avoid an attack.”

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

When a letter carrier comes to your home, keep dogs:

• Inside the house or behind a fence;
• Away from the door or in another room; or
• On a leash.

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

Informed Delivery is a useful tool for dog-owning customers. It’s a free service that gives customers a digital preview of the mail and packages that are scheduled to be delivered so that they can take precautions and secure their dog when parcels are delivered to the door. Sign up at informeddelivery.usps.com.

Letter carriers are trained to observe an area where they know dogs may be present. They are taught to be alert for potentially dangerous conditions and to respect a dog’s territory.

2022 Dog Attack Rankings by City

The top 20 ranking are comprised of 36 cities.

Top 10 Dog Bite States:

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