William Simpson
U.S. Postal Service employees face an increasing number of dog attacks, with 5,800 mail carriers suffering bites last year, according to the USPS.
“Post carriers are exposed to potential dangers every day, none more prevalent than a canine encounter. All it takes is one interaction for a mail carrier to suffer an injury,” said Leeann Theriault, USPS manager, Employee Safety and Health Awareness, in a press release to highlight a promotional campaign being run this week to draw attention to the issue.
By state, California saw the most incidents in which dogs bit mail delivery people last year, with 727 cases, up from 675 in 2022. Texas came in second with 411 incidents, followed by Ohio (359), Pennsylvania ( 334). ) and Illinois (316). New York, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan and Missouri round out the top 10 states.
US Postal Service
Here are the top 20 US cities for dog attacks in 2023, according to the USPS, along with the number of individual incidents:
- Los Angeles (65)
- Houston (56)
- Chicago (48)
- São Luís (46)
- Cleveland (44)
- San Diego (41)
- Dallas (39)
- Cincinnati (38)
- Philadelphia (34)
- Columbus, Ohio (33)
- Kansas City, Missouri (32)
- Indianapolis (30)
- Memphis, Tennessee (29)
- Louisville, Kentucky (28)
- Minneapolis (27)
- Albuquerque, New Mexico (26)
- Saint Anthony (26)
- Sacramento, California (26)
- Milwaukee (23)
- Dayton, Ohio, (23)
Dog owners could face legal repercussions
The potential harm could include a financial loss to dog owners, the USPS warned. The average cost per claim for a dog bite is $64,555, according to the Postal Service, citing information from the Insurance Information Institute.
“When a postal employee suffers an injury, the owner may be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and employee pain and suffering,” the USPS said in a news release. release.
To avoid a canine confrontation, mail carriers are trained to:
But if a dog attacks, handlers are also trained to stand their ground and use repellent if necessary.
Most people know approximately when the mailman arrives each day, so secure your dog indoors, behind a fence or at a rental in advance to minimize potential danger, the USPS advised. Dog owners should also not allow children to receive mail directly from a postal worker, as the dog may view the postal worker as a threat to the child, he added.
If dangerous dog problems are not resolved, owners may be forced to rent a PO box to receive mail.
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