Los Angeles has once again recorded the highest number of dog attacks on U.S. Postal Service employees in the nation, marking the third consecutive year the city has held this distinction. Last year, postal workers in Los Angeles experienced 70 dog-related incidents.
Nationwide, postal employees faced over 5,200 dog attacks in the past year, as detailed in a recent U.S. Postal Service news release. While Los Angeles saw a decrease in incidents compared to previous years, its total of 70 attacks remains the highest among U.S. cities. California as a state led the country with 673 dog attacks on postal workers over the last year.
Other cities in California also reported significant numbers of attacks. San Diego experienced 32 incidents, Oakland recorded 27, Sacramento and San Francisco each had 21, and Long Beach reported 20. These figures underscore a persistent challenge for postal carriers operating within the state.
Leeann Theriault, employee safety and health awareness manager for the USPS, emphasized the need for continuous vigilance from both postal employees and the public. "Preventing dog-related incidents requires constant, shared vigilance," Theriault stated in the release. "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 Postal Service has implemented a public awareness campaign and provided safety tips for dog owners and carriers to mitigate these incidents. Recommendations for owners include securing pets in a separate room before opening the door for mail delivery, ensuring gates are latched, and using leashes when dogs are outdoors. Postal employees are trained to announce their presence, check gates and fences, maintain eye contact with dogs, and use their mail satchels as a shield if an attack occurs, with dog repellent as a last resort.
