There were around 5,200 reported dog attacks on Postal Service employees in 2025, down from around 6,000 the year before, according to data released this week as part of the USPS National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign.
Among major cities, Los Angeles led with 70 incidents, followed by Dallas (50), Denver (45), Houston (44) and Chicago (43).
Among states, California led with 673 incidents, followed by Texas (358), Ohio (287), New York (269) and Pennsylvania (267).
Last year, the Postal Service expanded its annual awareness campaign from one week to the full month of June to underscore the importance of best practices on both sides of the mailbox.
“Preventing dog-related incidents requires constant, shared vigilance,” said Leeann Theriault, USPS employee safety and health awareness manager. “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 theme for this year’s awareness campaign, which begins June 1, is “Don’t turn your back on dog bite prevention.”
During the campaign, USPS will urge customers to ensure that they have their dog or dogs under control during delivery times and that they keep them in a separate, closed room before opening the door for deliveries. Dogs should be kept on a leash if outside during delivery times.
Customers are also urged to never accept mail from a carrier in the presence of a dog — and to teach children this rule — as dogs can interpret the carrier’s movement as a threat.
USPS trains letter carriers to rattle a fence gate or make a sound before walking into a yard, to maintain visual contact with a dog, to never startle an animal, and to secure outward-swinging doors with a foot to prevent a pet from escaping.
Carriers are also trained to stand their ground in the event of an attack and place a mail satchel or other large item between them and the dog, or use dog repellent, if necessary.
But incidents can happen even when a letter carrier does everything right, underscoring the fact that customers play a big part in ensuring carrier safety.
“I was walking my route when a dog jumped the fence and lunged at me,” San Antonio Letter Carrier Fiona Hudson said. “I used my dog repellent and mail bag to defend myself, but it was too late. I was rushed to the hospital bleeding, with a broken bone, a severe arm sprain and was barely able to move.
“While my physical wounds have healed, the trauma of that vicious attack stays with me. Customers must take responsibility and secure their dogs during delivery hours.”
Carriers who feel unsafe can report the situation to their manager, who may opt to curtail delivery on the route until it is deemed safe.
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