Dog attacks on USPS employees down in 2019
U.S. Postal Service employees were attacked by dogs fewer times in 2019 than in years past.
In 2019, there were 5,803 attacks nationwide. That number is 200 fewer ties than the previous year and more than 400 fewer since 2017, according to the USPS.
“Even during these difficult times, it’s important for our customers to understand that letter carriers are still coming to homes daily and need to deliver mail safely,” said USPS Safety Awareness Program Manager Chris Johnson. “We are confident we can keep moving the trends of attacks downward, and ramping up overall awareness for everyone is the best way to do that.”
In 2018, 378 postal carriers were bitten by dogs in Ohio. In 2019, that total was down to 304 according to USPS.
Ohio Large City USPS Dog Bites 2019:
- Cleveland 51
- Columbus 35
- Toledo 32
- Cincinnati 26
- Dayton 20
Houston was the city with the most attacks with 85. Los Angeles was No. 2 with 74. Also in the top five were Chicago, Cleveland and Dallas.
USPS attributes the downward trend to awareness and technology, which includes the use of scanners and alerts.
Mail carriers use handheld scanners that can indicate the presence of a dog, and delivery service alerts can give homeowners advance time to secure dogs before carriers arrive.