U.S. Postal Service releases national dog bite city rankings

The United States Postal Service released its annual list of cities with the most annual dog bites to their employees, ahead of National Dog Bite Awareness Week. 

The report states that more than 5,300 Postal Service employees were attacked by dogs while delivering mail last year. 

According to the USPS ranking of cities with the most dog attacks on employees, Houston came in the first place, with 57 dog bites in 2022. In second place came Los Angeles with 48 dog bites, followed by Dallas with 44. The fourth place was given to Cleveland with 43, and fifth to San Diego with 39 dog bites. 

The report was released days ahead of National Dog Bite Awareness Week, which started on June 4 and ends on June 10. “Even good dogs have bad days,” is the theme for this year’s campaign, along with the hashtag #dogbiteawareness. 

“When our mail carriers are bitten, it is usually a ‘good dog’ that had not previously behaved in a menacing way,” USPS Occupational Safety and Health Senior Director Linda DeCarlo said in a news release.

By releasing the state rankings, the organization is trying to raise awareness of the threat that uncontrolled dogs can pose to mail delivery employees and to try to spread best practices among dog owners. 

“When letter carriers deliver mail in our communities, dogs that are not secured or leashed can become a nemesis and unpredictable and attack,” said Leeann Theriault, USPS employee safety and health awareness manager. “Help us deliver your mail safely by keeping your dog secure and out of the way before your carrier arrives.”

USPS says that dog owners usually should know the approximate time that letters get delivered to their homes. A good practice to prevent injured employees includes securing dogs before that designated time to minimize potentially dangerous interactions.

Other advice includes placing pets on a leash or making sure they are inside the home or behind a fence.