American mail carriers really do get bitten by dogs
And it happens way more often than you think
Mail carriers getting bitten by angry dogs seems like it could be a made-up movie cliche, but thousands upon thousands of United States Postal Service workers really do get bitten by dogs every single year according to the government agency.
More than 5,800 cases in 2023
There were more than 5,800 cases of dog attacks against mail carriers in 2023, a figure that was up from the previous year, according to a news release from the United States Postal Service (USPS) in May as part of its National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign.
The National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign
The 2024 National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign theme was 'Don’t let your dog bite the hand that serves you' and it was paired with some interesting facts from USPS about mail carriers and dog bites in the United States.
You dog’s bite can cost you a lot of cash
For example, a single dog bite can cost upwards of $64,555 dollars in insurance claims and it's the dog owner who is ultimately responsible for a mail carrier's medical bills, wage losses, and uniform replacements when they are bitten by a dog while on the job.
Dogs can have their bad days too
“Even though a customer’s dog is friendly to most people, it can always have a bad day,” said letter carrier Tara Snyder. “I know, from experience, even when a dog is in the house, customers need to make sure their door is secure so their dog can’t push it open and bite the letter carrier.”
Mail service can be halted in some cases
Mail service can even be stopped at homes where a carrier feels unsafe, meaning some people are forced to head to their closest post office to pick up their mail. This can also affect mail delivery to whole neighborhoods in some cases where a dangerous dog situation isn’t resolved.
Where do mail carriers get bitten most?
So where are mail carriers mostly likely to be bitten? USPS sorted that out for everyone by providing a list of the top ten states where mail carriers are bitten by dogs. Let's take a look at these states and just how many dog bite incidents they saw in 2023 and 2022.
10. Missouri
Dog Bites in 2023: 180
Dog Bites in 2022: 166
Photo by Crystal Tubens on Unsplash
9. Michigan
Dog Bites in 2023: 183
Dog Bites in 2022: 206
Photo by Victória Kubiaki on Unsplash
8. North Carolina
Dog Bites in 2023: 185
Dog Bites in 2022: 146
Photo by Justin Veenema on Unsplash
7. Florida
Dog Bites in 2023: 193
Dog Bites in 2022: 220
Photo by Joel Moysuh on Unsplash
6. New York
Dog Bites in 2023: 296
Dog Bites in 2022: 321
Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash
5. Illinois
Dog Bites in 2023: 316
Dog Bites in 2022: 245
Photo by Martin Castro on Unsplash
4. Philadelphia
Dog Bites in 2023: 334
Dog Bites in 2022: 313
Photo by Trinity Nguyen on Unsplash
3. Ohio
Dog Bites in 2023: 359
Dog Bites in 2022: 311
Photo by Atanas Teodosiev on Unsplash
2. Texas
Dog Bites in 2023: 411
Dog Bites in 2022: 404
Photo by Sean Boyd on Unsplash
1. California
Dog Bites in 2023: 727
Dog Bites in 2022: 675
Photo by Ron Fung on Unsplash
The Top Dog Bite City in America
Los Angeles had 65 dog bite incidents in 2023! Houston was a close second with 56 incidents and Chicago of all places came in third with 48 dog bites in 2023.
Photo by Olenka Kotyk on Unsplash
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