An average of almost 15 mail carriers a day were bitten by dogs last year, according to the U.S. Postal Service — more than 5,300 over the course of 2022. It is not dogs with a history of threatening or outright dangerous behavior that are doing the biting. “It is usually a ‘good dog’ that had not previously behaved in a menacing way,” according to U.S. Postal Service Occupational Safety and Health Senior Director Linda DeCarlo. Indeed, many attacks reported by letter carriers came from dogs whose owners regularly stated, “My dog won’t bite.” It’s not surprising. Even gentle dogs can be very protective of their turf, taking their human families off guard.
Mail carriers are taught to avert dog bites with a series of training instructions, including not to startle a dog or attempt to pet or feed one. But the Postal Service has tips for people receiving the deliveries, as well.
Be aware of the approximate time your mail gets delivered each day. You can even anticipate when the letters and packages will come by signing up for Informed Delivery at informeddelivery.usps.com. More than 52 million customers have already enrolled. The free service allows you to digitally preview incoming mail from a computer, tablet, or mobile device. That way, before the mail carrier arrives, you can make sure your dog is behind a fence; in a room away from the door where the mail comes; or on a leash. A fence has to be high enough that the dog can’t jump over it. Mail carriers have been attacked by dogs who were able to clear fence tops. And the reason for keeping the dog in a separate room behind a closed door is that dogs have been known to burst through screen doors or plate glass windows to attack visitors.
Never let a child directly take mail from a mail carrier, as the dog may see the deliverer as a threat to the young one and respond as he sees fit.
Note that medical bills for a mail carrier are only one kind of fallout for someone whose dog is not under proper control and ends up hurting someone. If a carrier feels unsafe, mail service could be halted, not only for the home where the uncontrolled dog lives, but for the entire neighborhood. That means everyone who lives near you must pick up their mail at the post office, and service will not be restored until the aggressive dog is properly restrained. In other words, there could be social repercussions as well as monetary ones. More to the point, keeping your mail carrier safe is simply the right thing to do.
Bites to Mail Carriers Ranked by City
Here are the top 10 cities for dog bites suffered by people who deliver mail for the U.S. Postal Service, from most bites to least. The figures are for 2022, the latest year available.
1. Houston
2. Los Angeles
3. Dallas
4. Cleveland
5. San Diego
6. Chicago
7. St. Louis
8. Kansas City, MO
9. Phoenix
10. San Antonio
