CLEVELAND — The United States Postal Service released new details Friday morning regarding the number of their employees who were attacked by dogs while delivering mail last year.
Cleveland ranked as the fourth-highest city in the country with 43 total dog attacks. Ohio, meanwhile, ranked at No. 5 overall with 311 incidents (down from 359 in 2021).
The total number of incidents nationwide topped more than 5,300, according to USPS officials.
“Mail carriers know all dogs can bite, even those perceived as nonaggressive,” according to a press release from USPS. “Dogs are generally protective of their turf and dog owners have an important responsibility to control them to ensure safe mail delivery.”
Here are the top 10 cities with the number of attacks as ranked by the USPS:
- Houston: 57 incidents
- Los Angeles: 48 incidents
- Dallas: 44 incidents
- Cleveland: 43 incidents
- San Diego: 39 incidents
- Chicago: 36 incidents
- St. Louis: 34 incidents
- Kansas City: 33 incidents
- Phoenix: 32 incidents
- San Antonio: 32 incidents
In an effort to improve safety, the USPS is holding its annual National Dog Bite Awareness Week from June 4-10. This year’s theme is “Even good dogs have bad days.”
“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.”
TIPS FOR PET OWNERS FROM THE USPS
"Most people know the approximate time their letter carrier arrives every day," the USPS says. "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
- 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, the USPS suggests.
“When our mail carriers are bitten, it is usually a ‘good dog’ that had not previously behaved in a menacing way,” said USPS Occupational Safety and Health Senior Director Linda DeCarlo. “In 2022, too many aggressive dogs impacted the lives of our employees while delivering the mail. Please help us reduce that number by being a responsible pet owner who secures their dog as we deliver the mail.”
The USPS also says their mail carriers are trained to be alert for potentially dangerous conditions when it comes to dogs.
“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.”
The postal service says carriers also 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 may be used during mail sorting to alert carriers to routes where a dog may interfere with delivery.”
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