In reaction to the increase in the number of dog attacks on postal workers, which reached over 6,000 incidents in the previous year, the United States Postal Service (USPS) will launch its annual National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign on June 1.
According to data provided by the United States Postal Service (USPS), the number of dog attacks on postal workers in Los Angeles in 2024 was 77, making it the city with the highest number of such attacks.
There were 57 incidents in Chicago, which placed it in third place, followed by 65 incidents in Houston.
Stockton, Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento, and San Francisco are some of the other cities in California that made it onto the list of the top 20.
| Rank | City, State | Number of Attacks |
| 1 | Los Angeles, California | 77 |
| 2 | Houston, Texas | 65 |
| 3 | Chicago, Illinois | 57 |
| 4 | St. Louis, Missouri | 47 |
| 5 | Cincinnati, Ohio | 44 |
| 6 | Dallas, Texas | 43 |
| 7 | Kansas City, Missouri | 40 |
| 7 | Cleveland, Ohio | 40 |
| 8 | San Diego, California | 35 |
| 9 | Denver, Colorado | 34 |
| 10 | San Antonio, Texas | 32 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 32 |
| 10 | Detroit, Michigan | 32 |
| 10 | Columbus, Ohio | 32 |
| 11 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | 30 |
| 12 | Indianapolis, Indiana | 26 |
| 13 | Phoenix, Arizona | 25 |
| 13 | Memphis, Tennessee | 25 |
| 14 | Omaha, Nebraska | 24 |
| 14 | Louisville, Kentucky | 24 |
| 15 | Rochester, New York | 23 |
| 16 | Toledo, Ohio | 21 |
| 16 | Sacramento, California | 21 |
| 16 | El Paso, Texas | 21 |
| 17 | San Francisco, California | 20 |
| 17 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 20 |
| 17 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 20 |
| 17 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | 20 |
| 18 | Stockton, California | 18 |
| 18 | Oakland, California | 18 |
| 19 | Youngstown, Ohio | 17 |
| 19 | Salt Lake City, Utah | 17 |
| 19 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 17 |
| 19 | Miami, Florida | 17 |
| 19 | Des Moines, Iowa | 17 |
| 20 | St. Petersburg, Florida | 15 |
| 20 | Fort Worth, Texas | 15 |
| 20 | Birmingham, Alabama | 15 |
With 701 dog bite incidents nationwide, California led all states, followed by Texas in second place and Ohio in third.
| 2024 Dog Bite/Dog Incident Data | |||
| STATE | Number of dog bites | Top 10 States | |
| 1 | California | 701 | 1 |
| 2 | Texas | 438 | 2 |
| 3 | Ohio | 350 | 3 |
| 4 | Illinois | 344 | 4 |
| 5 | New York | 322 | 5 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 316 | 6 |
| 7 | Michigan | 231 | 7 |
| 8 | Florida | 210 | 8 |
| 9 | Missouri | 207 | 9 |
| 10 | North Carolina | 169 | 10 |
During this year’s “Secure Your Dog, Keep Deliveries on Track” campaign, pet owners are being encouraged to take responsibility for ensuring that their dogs are safely contained when the mail is delivered.
By using the hashtag #dogbiteawareness on social media during the month of June, the campaign has been successful in raising awareness.
Leeann Theriault, who is the manager of staff safety and health awareness for the United States Postal Service, provided a statement in which she noted that “the best way to keep safe from dog attacks is to recognise and promote the responsibility of pet ownership.” Every single dog, regardless of its breed, size, or age, has the capacity to bite.
Assaults by dogs on employees of the United States Postal Service (USPS) can result in physical injuries as well as costly implications for the owners of the dogs, including medical bills, lost income, and the cost of replacing uniforms.
Should a mail carrier feel uneasy about the situation, they may decide to halt the delivery of mail to the residence until the dog is safely contained. Residents would be required to go to the post office in their neighbourhood in order to retrieve their mail after that occurrence. Occasionally, in order for the United States Postal Service to restore service, it may be necessary for pet owners to rent a post office box.
As a part of its annual campaign, the United States Postal Service (USPS) advises pet owners to take preventative precautions.
According to Theriault, “the most important message for our customers to remember is to keep your dog secured and away from the carrier while the mail is being delivered,” because this is the most vital message. We need your assistance to make sure that everyone in our communities is safe.
