WASHINGTON, DC — 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. Today, USPS highlights technology that helps reduce potential attacks, while releasing its annual list of cities with the most recorded dog attacks. 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.

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.

The Postal Service has a short dog bite video available on its YouTube site, USPS TV.

2019 Dog Attack Rankings by City
A total of 5,803 USPS employees were attacked by dogs in 2019. The top 20 rankings comprise 30 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:

 

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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