{"id":32284,"date":"2022-06-02T23:00:40","date_gmt":"2022-06-03T04:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/?p=32284"},"modified":"2022-06-02T23:00:40","modified_gmt":"2022-06-03T04:00:40","slug":"usps-releases-dog-attack-national-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/2022\/06\/02\/usps-releases-dog-attack-national-rankings\/","title":{"rendered":"USPS Releases Dog Attack National Rankings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>National Dog Bite Awareness Week Starts June 5<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>WASHINGTON \u2014 6\/2\/22 &#8211; More than 5,400 postal employees were attacked by dogs in the United States in 2021. From nips and bites to vicious attacks, aggressive dog behavior poses a serious threat to postal employees and the public. To highlight the enormity of this serious issue, the U.S. Postal Service is providing information on the do\u2019s and don\u2019ts of responsible dog ownership as part of its annual National Dog Bite Awareness Week public service campaign.<\/p>\n<p>The campaign runs Sunday, June 5, through Saturday, June 11. This year\u2019s theme is \u201cThe USPS Delivers for America \u2014 Deliver for Us by Restraining Your Dog.\u201d Spread the news of the campaign by using the hashtag<strong>\u00a0#dogbiteawareness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery year, thousands of postal employees are attacked by dogs as they deliver America\u2019s mail. And while it\u2019s a dog\u2019s natural instinct to protect their family and home, we ask all customers to act responsibly by taking safety precautions with their dogs while the mail is being delivered,\u201d said USPS Employee Safety and Health Awareness Manager Leeann Theriault. \u201cWhen a carrier comes to the residence, keep the dog inside the house and away from the door \u2014 or behind a fence on a leash \u2014 to avoid an attack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Being a Responsible Pet Owner<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Dog owners with friendly dogs often expect a friendly reaction from other dogs. However, even friendly dogs will bite, depending on the circumstance. Dogs are primarily territorial in nature and protective of their owners and their owners\u2019 property. Defending its territory sometimes means attacking \u2014 and possibly biting \u2014 the letter carrier. Dog owners are responsible for controlling their dogs. The best way to keep everyone safe from dog bites is to recognize and promote responsible pet ownership.<\/p>\n<p>Most people know the approximate time their letter carrier arrives every day. Securing your dog before the carrier approaches your property will minimize any dog-carrier interactions.<\/p>\n<p>When a letter carrier comes to your home, keep dogs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Inside the house or behind a fence;<\/li>\n<li>Away from the door or in another room; or<\/li>\n<li>On a leash.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Pet owners also should remind their children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat.<\/p>\n<p>Informed Delivery is a useful tool for dog-owning customers. It\u2019s a free service that gives customers a digital preview of the mail and packages that are scheduled to be delivered so that they can take precautions and secure their dog when parcels are delivered to the door. Sign up at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/informeddelivery.usps.com\/box\/pages\/intro\/start.action\"><em>informeddelivery.usps.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Postal Service takes the safety of our employees as seriously as we take our commitment to delivering America\u2019s mail. Each year, nearly 6,000 employees are attacked by dogs while on their routes,\u201d said USPS Occupational Safety and Health Senior Director Linda DeCarlo. \u201cPlease deliver for us by being responsible pet owners and make sure your dogs are secured when our carrier comes to your mailbox.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Victims<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Last year, many attacks reported by letter carriers came from dogs whose owners regularly stated, \u201cMy dog won\u2019t bite.\u201d Dog bites are entirely preventable. One bite is one too many.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Being Attentive While Delivering<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Letter carriers are trained to observe an area where they know dogs may be present. They are taught to be alert for potentially dangerous conditions and to respect a dog\u2019s territory.<\/p>\n<p>Letter carriers are trained to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Not startle a dog.<\/li>\n<li>Keep their eyes on the dog.<\/li>\n<li>Never assume a dog won\u2019t bite.<\/li>\n<li>Make some noise or rattle a fence to alert the dog if entering a yard.<\/li>\n<li>Never attempt to pet or feed a dog.<\/li>\n<li>Place their foot against an outward swinging door.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If a dog attacks, carriers are also trained to stand their ground and protect their body by placing something between them and the dog \u2014 such as their mail satchel \u2014 and use dog repellent, if necessary.<\/p>\n<p>Even though postal officials ask customers to control their dogs, unfortunately dog bites still happen, which may result in injuries to our carriers and costly medical expenses for dog owners. Please heed the above best practices to help stop dog bites and protect your letter carrier.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was bit by a dog on my leg recently and my mail satchel helped shield me,\u201d said Francisco Juarez, a letter carrier who delivers in Houston. \u201cThe sound of a dog barking while on my route puts me on high alert and I try to be ready to protect myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Juarez recognizes the importance of the safety training he\u2019s received as a letter carrier to help protect himself from dog attacks while delivering the mail. Even though he diligently follows dog-bite safety protocols while on his route, he was still attacked by a dog.<\/p>\n<p>Carriers do have tools to remind them about dogs on their routes. There is a dog alert feature tool on their handheld scanners to remind them of a possible dog hazard and they use dog warning cards as reminders when they sort their mail for their routes that a dog that may interfere with delivery.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, when a carrier feels unsafe, mail service could be halted \u2014 not only for the dog owner, but for the entire neighborhood. When mail service is stopped, mail must be picked up at the Post Office. Service will not be restored until the dog is properly restrained.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2022 Dog Attack Rankings by City<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The top 25 ranking are comprised of 32 cities, as some cities reported the same number of attacks. For the 2022 dog attack rankings in your specific city or town, contact\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/about.usps.com\/newsroom\/national-releases\/welcome.htm#national-media-contacts\">your local USPS public relations representative.<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"table-responsive\">\n<table class=\"table table-bordered table-sm\" summary=\"Information for 2022 Dog Attack Rankings by City\">\n<caption class=\"sr-only\">2022 Dog Attack Rankings by City<\/caption>\n<thead class=\"thead-light\">\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"4\" nowrap=\"nowrap\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>Calendar Year 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\" width=\"40%\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>Office City<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\" width=\"20%\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>State<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\" width=\"20%\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\" width=\"20%\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>Rank<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>CLEVELAND<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">OH<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>58<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>1<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>HOUSTON<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">TX<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>54<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>2<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>KANSAS CITY<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">MO<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>48<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>3<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>LOS ANGELES<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">CA<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>44<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>4<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>LOUISVILLE<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">KY<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>42<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>5<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>DALLAS<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">TX<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>38<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>6<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ST. LOUIS<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">MO<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>36<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>7<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>CHICAGO<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">IL<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>35<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>8<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>DETROIT<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">MI<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>34<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>9<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>PHILADELPHIA<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">PA<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>32<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>10<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>COLUMBUS<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">OH<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>31<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td rowspan=\"2\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>11<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>SAN DIEGO<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">CA<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>31<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>SAN ANTONIO<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">TX<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>30<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>12<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>DENVER<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">CO<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>29<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>13<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>PHOENIX<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">AZ<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>28<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>14<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>TOLEDO<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">OH<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>27<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>15<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>FORT WORTH<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">TX<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>26<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>16<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>CINCINNATI<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">OH<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>25<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>17<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>SEATTLE<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">WA<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>24<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>18<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>MINNEAPOLIS<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">MN<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>22<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>19<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>PITTSBURGH<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">PA<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>21<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>20<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>AKRON<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">OH<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>20<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td rowspan=\"2\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>21<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ALBUQUERQUE<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">NM<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>20<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>DAYTON<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">OH<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>18<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td rowspan=\"2\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>22<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>MIAMI<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">FL<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>18<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>BALTIMORE<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">MD<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>17<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td rowspan=\"2\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>23<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>MEMPHIS<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">TN<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>17<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>YOUNGSTOWN<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">OH<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>16<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>24<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>BATON ROUGE<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">LA<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>15<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td rowspan=\"4\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>25<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>FLINT<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">MI<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>15<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>FLUSHING<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">NY<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>15<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>INDIANAPOLIS<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\">IN<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>15<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Top 10 Dog Bite States:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"table-responsive\">\n<table class=\"table table-bordered table-sm\" summary=\"Information for Top 10 Dog Bite States\">\n<caption class=\"sr-only\">Top 10 Dog Bite States<\/caption>\n<thead class=\"thead-light\">\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"col\" width=\"33%\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>State<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\" width=\"33%\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>2020<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\" width=\"33%\">\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>CA<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>787<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>656<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>TX<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>410<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>368<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>OH<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>369<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>359<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>PA<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>296<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>281<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>MI<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>253<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>244<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>NY<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>294<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>239<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>IL<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>289<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>226<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>FL<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>199<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>201<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>WA<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>122<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>139<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>KY<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>121<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong>123<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/USPS495.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-30360\" src=\"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/USPS495-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/USPS495-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/USPS495-30x30.jpg 30w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>National Dog Bite Awareness Week Starts June 5 WASHINGTON \u2014 6\/2\/22 &#8211; More than 5,400 postal employees were attacked by dogs in the United States in 2021. From nips and bites to vicious attacks, aggressive dog behavior poses a serious threat to postal employees and the public. To highlight the enormity of this serious issue, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking","category-usps-news","last_archivepost"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32284"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32284\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32285,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32284\/revisions\/32285"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}