The United States Postal Service said this week dog attacks on letter carriers rose last year to more than 5,800 cases, and the agency is asking for dog owners’ help in preventing the attacks.
As part of its 2024 National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign, the USPS also released data showing where postal workers are most at risk.
Here are the states where the highest number of dog bite attacks on USPS employees occurred in 2023:
1. California
It stands to reason that California would have the greatest number of dog attacks on postal carriers in the U.S., given it is the state with the highest population.
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California took the top spot with 727 canine bite incidents on USPS workers in 2023, and four of its cities made the top 20.
Los Angeles ranked No. 1 for the most dog attacks with 65, while San Diego was No. 6 at 41 attacks. Sacramento came in at No. 16 on the list with 26 bites, and San Francisco ranked No. 19 with 20 attacks.
2. Texas
Texas, the second-largest state in population, ranked second for the most dog attacks on postal workers last year too, at 411. The Lone Star state’s largest city, Houston, also landed the No. 2 spot for cities with the greatest bite incidents at 56.
Dallas (No. 7), San Antonio (No. 16) and Forth Worth (No. 17) also landed in the top 20 of cities with the most bite incidents on the books.
3. Ohio
Coming in at No. 3, Ohio saw 359 dog attacks on postal workers last year.
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The Buckeye State also had three cities in the top 20: Cleveland (No. 5), Columbus (No. 10) and Dayton tied for No. 17.
4. Pennsylvania
The state of Pennsylvania had 334 documented dog attacks on postal workers in 2023, landing it fourth in the rankings.
The Keystone States’s City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, found itself in the No. 9 spot for cities with the most bite incidents, with 34.
5. Illinois
Illinois rounded out the top five with 316 dog bite incidents, apparently driven by its largest city, Chicago, which had the third-highest number of attacks among cities at 48.
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