U.S. Postal Service Releases Dog Bite National Rankings
National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign Starts June 2
WASHINGTON, May 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Incidents involving dog attacks on Postal Service employees rose to more than 5,800 cases last year. As part of the USPS 2024 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 our employees.
The campaign begins Sunday, June 2, and runs through Sunday, June 9. This year's theme is "Don't let your dog bite the hand that serves you." Spread the news of the campaign with the hashtag #dogbiteawareness.
"Letter carriers are exposed to potential hazards every day, none more prevalent than a canine encounter. All it takes is one interaction for a letter carrier to possibly suffer an injury," said Leeann Theriault, USPS Manager, Employee Safety and Health Awareness. "The U.S. Postal Service consistently encourages responsible pet ownership. The national dog bite campaign is an effort to promote dog bite awareness to keep our customers, their dogs, and letter carriers safe while delivering the mail."
Dog Owners Can Help With Safe Mail Delivery
Letter carriers know all dogs can bite, even those perceived as nonaggressive. Dogs are generally protective of their turf and dog owners have an important responsibility to control them to ensure safe mail delivery.
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.
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 children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child.
Stay Informed, See the Mail Before It Arrives
By using Informed Delivery, a free USPS service, customers can digitally preview incoming mail and packages from a computer, tablet or mobile device. More than 52 million customers have enrolled since the service was launched in 2017. Sign up is at informeddelivery.usps.com. This service can help dog owners anticipate when their carrier will arrive.
Consequences of a Dog Attack
According to the most recent information available from the Insurance Information Institute, the average cost per insurance claim for a dog bite is $64,555. When a postal employee suffers an injury, the owner could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering for the employee.
Staying Focused on Delivering
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.
Letter carriers are trained to:
-- Make a non-threatening noise or rattle a fence to alert a dog if
entering a yard;
-- Never startle a dog;
-- Keep their eyes on any dog;
-- Never assume a dog will not bite;
-- Never attempt to pet or feed a dog; and
-- Place their foot against an outward swinging door to prevent a dog from
escaping.
If a dog attacks, carriers are also 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.
"Even though a customer's dog is friendly to most people, it can always have a bad day," said letter carrier Tara Snyder. "I know, from experience, even when a dog is in the house, customers need to make sure their door is secure so their dog can't push it open and bite the letter carrier."
Letter carriers have tools to alert them to dogs on their routes. A dog alert feature on carriers' handheld scanners can remind them of a possible dog hazard, and dog warning cards must be used during mail sorting to alert carriers to addresses where a dog may interfere with delivery.
Holding the Mail
When a carrier feels unsafe, mail service can be stopped. Until the carrier feels safe enough to restart delivery, the mail will have to be picked up at the dog owner's local Post Office. If a carrier feels a house or neighborhood is unsafe to deliver the mail and there is no way to inform residents their mail service has been suspended, the residents would have to contact the supervisor at their local Post Office for more information. The residents would also have to pick up their mail at the Post Office until it is safe to resume delivery. If a dangerous dog issue is not resolved, owners can be required to rent a Post Office box to receive mail.
2023 Dog Attack Rankings by City
The top 20 ranking consists of 30 cities, as some cities reported the same number of attacks. For 2023 dog attack data in your specific city or town, contact your local USPS public relations representative.
Calendar Year 2023
City State 2023 Rank
LOS ANGELES CA 65 1
HOUSTON TX 56 2
CHICAGO IL 48 3
ST. LOUIS MO 46 4
CLEVELAND OH 44 5
SAN DIEGO CA 41 6
DALLAS TX 39 7
CINCINNATI OH 38 8
PHILADELPHIA PA 34 9
COLUMBUS OH 33 10
KANSAS CITY MO 32 11
INDIANAPOLIS IN 30 12
MEMPHIS TN 29 13
LOUISVILLE KY 28 14
MINNEAPOLIS MN 27 15
ALBUQUERQUE NM 26 16
SAN ANTONIO TX 26 16
SACRAMENTO CA 26 16
MILWAUKEE WI 23 17
DAYTON OH 23 17
FORT WORTH TX 23 17
MIAMI FL 21 18
DENVER CO 21 18
OMAHA NE 21 18
BUFFALO NY 20 19
SAN FRANCISCO CA 20 19
LONG BEACH CA 19 20
TULSA OK 19 20
PORTLAND OR 19 20
DETROIT MI 19 20
Top 10 Dog Bite States:
State 2023 2022
CA 727 675
TX 411 404
OH 359 311
PA 334 313
IL 316 245
NY 296 321
FL 193 220
NC 185 146
MI 183 206
MO 180 166
Please Note: The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to 167 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America, to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America's most valued and trusted brands.
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
For USPS media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter; Instagram; Pinterest; Threads and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube Channel and like us on Facebook. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com.
Contact: David P. Coleman
(C) 202-425-1476
david.p.coleman@usps.gov
usps.com/news
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SOURCE U.S. Postal Service
