The U.S. Postal Service revealed this week the states with the most dog attacks against mailmen. In a statement, the agency said that it releases the rankings to promote its annual National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign.
"All it takes is one interaction for a letter carrier to possibly suffer an injury," said Leeann Theriault, USPS manager of Employee Safety and Health Awareness. She explained that a "canine encounter" is the most common hazard a mailman faces. With the campaign, the agency hopes to promote responsible pet ownership.
Top 10 states for dog bites
For a second year in a row, California ranked number one for the most dog attacks against mailmen. What's more, the number increased, jumping from 675 in 2022 to 727 in 2023. Texas came in second with 411 attacks, and Ohio came in third with 359.
- California: 727
- Texas: 411
- Ohio: 359
- Pennsylvania: 334
- Illinois: 316
- New York: 296
- Florida: 193
- North Carolina: 185
- Michigan: 183
- Missouri: 180
Cities ranked by dog bites
When looking at the data, there's a slight correlation between the states with the most dog bites and the location of the cities. With that said, Los Angeles ranked number one with 63 bits, Houston ranked second with 57, and Chicago ranked third with 48.
- Los Angeles, California: 65
- Houston, Texas: 56
- Chicago, Illinois: 48
- St. Louis, Missouri: 46
- Cleveland, Ohio: 44
- San Diego, California: 41
- Dallas, Texas: 39
- Cincinnati, Ohio: 38
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 34
- Columbus, Ohio: 33
- Kansas City, Missouri: 32
- Indianapolis, Indiana: 30
- Memphis, Tennessee: 29
- Louisville, Kentucky: 28
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: 27
- Albuquerque, New Mexico: 26
- San Antonio, Texas: 26
- Sacramento, California: 26
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 23
- Dayton, Ohio: 23
- Fort Worth, Texas: 23
- Miami, Florida: 21
- Denver, Colorado: 21
- Omaha, Nebraska: 21
- Buffalo, New York: 20
- San Francisco, California: 20
- Long Beach, California: 19
- Tulsa, Oklahoma: 19
- Portland, Oregon: 19
- Detroit, Michigan: 19
How dog owners can help keep mailmen safe
According to the Postal Service, the best way to prevent a dog attack incident is to keep pets inside the house or behind a fence during delivery time. If you have to open a door, the agency suggests keeping your dog away from the door or in another room.
The agency also recommends that you remind your kids not to take mail directly from the mailman because the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child.
