Where are mail carriers bit the most by dogs? USPS shares top cities, states

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FILE - A United States Postal Service (USPS) worker exits a vehicle on July 20, 2022, in Danville, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Postal Service workers are constantly exposed to potential hazards on their routes, including dogs – with more than 5,800 reported attacks last year.

The U.S. Postal Service on Thursday released its annual rankings of the top U.S. cities and states with the most reported dog bites in an effort to shine a spotlight on the issue. Last year's reported attacks were an increase from over 3,500 reported in 2022.

The USPS is also holding a 2024 National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign, which runs between June 2 and June 9, with the slogan: "Don’t let your dog bite the hand that serves you."

In 2023, the most reported dog attacks involving postal workers happened in Los Angeles, California (65), followed by Houston, Texas (56), Chicago, Illinois (48), St. Louis, Missouri (46), and Cleveland, Ohio (44), according to the USPS.

By state, California ranked highest in 2023 with 727 dog attacks, followed by Texas at 411, Ohio at 359, Pennsylvania with 334, and Illinois at 316, the USPS said.

See the full list below.

What USPS wants dog owners to know

Dogs are generally protective of their turf, and the USPS says that dog owners "have an important responsibility to control them" to keep mail carriers safe.

"Most people know the approximate time their letter carrier arrives every day," the agency says. "Securing your dog before the carrier approaches your property will minimize any potentially dangerous interactions."

The agency asks dog owners to keep pets inside the house or behind a fence when the mail carrier is likely to come by, in addition to keeping the dog away from the door or in another room, or even 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," USPS said.

When a postal worker suffers an injury from a dog bite, the agency warned how the owner "could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering for the employee."

US cities, states with most dog attacks on mail carriers

Dog attacks by city in 2023 - The USPS shared the top 20 ranking of most dog attacks, which are actually made up of 30 cities as some cities reported the same number of attacks.