Last year, U.S. Postal Service employees suffered 70 dog attacks in Los Angeles, the highest city in the nation for the third time in as many years.
Overall, postal workers across the country experienced more than 5,200 dog attack incidents last year, according to a U.S. Postal Service news release. This is the third year in a row L.A. has ranked as the top city nationwide for dog attacks, down 77 incidents in 2024 but up from 65 in 2023.
California was the top state for dog attacks on postal workers last year, recording 673 incidents overall.
Elsewhere in California, San Diego postal workers experienced 32 attacks, Oakland had 27, Sacramento had 21, Long Beach had 20 and San Francisco had 21, according to the release.
“Every single day, our postal employees serve their communities across dynamic, fast-changing environments,” said Leeann Theriault, employee safety and health awareness manager in the release. “Preventing dog-related incidents requires constant, shared vigilance. This campaign reinforces a vital truth: Animal behaviors can change in an instant, but proactive awareness from both our carriers and the customers we serve can stop painful injuries before they ever happen.”
The USPS has shared tips for dog owners and postal service employees alike in an effort to prevent more attacks.
Owners should manage their dogs during delivery times by keeping their pets in a separate room before opening the front door and ensuring the door is latched before stepping outside, according to the release.
They should also use a leash if their dog is outdoors during mail delivery.
Customers can also use USPS Informed Delivery and review incoming mail from their device before it arrives.
Postal carriers have also been trained to announce their entry before making a delivery, to rattle a gate or fence before walking into a yard, to maintain visual contact with the dog, and to assume that a dog poses risk.
If a dog attacks, carriers are trained to use their mail satchel as a shield and deploy dog repellent if necessary.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
