California and L.A. lead the nation in dog attacks on postal workers
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Man’s best friend appears to have a bone to pick with U.S. Postal Service workers in Los Angeles, which just ranked No. 1 in the nation when it comes to canine attacks on mail carriers.
Seventy-seven Postal Service employees were attacked by dogs last year in Los Angeles, earning the city the unfavorable top spot on the Postal Service’s incident list for the third year in a row.
California also ranks No. 1 among all states for attacks on Postal Service employees. There were 701 incidents reported in the Golden State in 2024, which is 38% more than Texas, which is in second place with 438 attacks reported.
Mail carriers are asked to rely on their wits and mail bags to protect themselves from dog bites. Nationwide, more than 5,800 bites were reported last year.
The Postal Service released the rankings this week as part of its annual national dog bite awareness campaign, aimed at teaching dog owners to prevent future attacks. The data also show that dog attacks are a growing problem, increasing from 5,300 incidents nationwide in 2022 to more than 6,000 in 2024.
Even dogs that have never shown signs of aggression may have unexpected reactions to mail carriers, the Postal Service warns.
“Dogs may attack not only to defend their territory, but also when they feel startled, anxious or unwell,” the Postal Service stated in a news release. “It’s not just about bad or aggressive dogs — it’s about unpredictable moments.”
Residents are advised to secure their dog inside before the carrier approaches the property. Children should also be warned to not accept mail from a carrier in the presence of a dog as the pet may perceive the worker as a threat.
Owners can sign up for USPS’ Informed Delivery alerts so they can have a better sense of when their carrier is coming.
Dog attacks not only threaten the safety and health of Postal Service workers but also can come at a significant cost to the owner, who may be liable for thousands of dollars in medical bills and lost wages.
“Customers may not consider their dog a danger to others, however, to a letter carrier like me, all dogs can be considered a threat when delivering the mail,” letter carrier Jonah Helfrich said in a statement. “I was recently delivering mail and a dog barged through a door and bit me on the wrist, which required me to seek medical treatment.”
Dangerous dogs can also prompt the USPS to suspend service to a certain address until the carrier feels safe enough to resume delivery.
In 2020, mail delivery was suspended at Mar Vista Gardens, a public housing complex with more than 1,800 tenants in Los Angeles’ Del Rey neighborhood, in part over an “uncontrollable dog.”
If a dog issue is not resolved, owners can be required to rent a Post Office box to receive mail.
Postal Service workers receive safety training to help minimize the risk of dangerous dog encounters.
For example, they are taught to make a nonthreatening noise to alert a dog to their presence when entering a yard and to keep their eyes on the pooch during the delivery. They are also trained to stand their ground during an attack, using their satchel or dog repellent to defend themselves if necessary.
These steps have not been enough to stem the growing number of canine attacks, however.
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