Dog attacks on USPS workers rose last year. See cities with most attacks.

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Incidents involving canine attacks against U.S. Postal Service workers roseate to much than 6,000 cases past twelvemonth — a leap of astatine slightest 200 cases since 2023, the USPS said. 

California saw the top fig of incidents involving canine attacks, with 701 successful 2024. Texas ranked 2nd with 438 incidents, followed by Ohio with 350 incidents, the USPS said successful a news release Thursday.

Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, Missouri and North Carolina rounded retired the apical 10 states with the astir canine incidents.

Here are the apical 10 U.S. cities for canine attacks successful 2024, according to the USPS, and the fig of incidents successful each city:

• Los Angeles — 77
• Houston — 65
• Chicago — 57
• St. Louis — 47
• Cincinnati — 44
• Dallas — 43
• Kansas City — 40
• Cleveland — 40
• San Diego — 35
• Denver — 34

Dog owners mightiness not recognize their animals tin onslaught a postal worker, but determination are steps owners tin instrumentality to guarantee the information of a bearer and that their message won't beryllium stopped, the USPS said. 

"Dog wound attacks connected postal employees are preventable," Leeann Theriault, USPS worker information and wellness consciousness manager, said successful the USPS quality release, during a promotional week to rise consciousness astir specified incidents.   

"The champion mode to support harmless from canine attacks is to admit and beforehand the work of favored ownership, specified arsenic teaching your canine due behaviour and commands and not allowing your canine to roam freely," Theriault said.

The USPS recommends securing dogs earlier the message bearer arrives, arsenic message is mostly delivered astatine a akin clip each day, oregon keeping a canine secured connected a leash if it is extracurricular erstwhile a bearer arrives. It besides says children should not instrumentality message straight from a carrier, due to the fact that the canine whitethorn presumption the idiosyncratic arsenic a menace to the child. 

A postal idiosyncratic from Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, powerfully encourages each canine owners to instrumentality precautions.

"I was precocious delivering message and a canine barged done a doorway and spot maine connected the wrist, which required maine to question aesculapian treatment," Jonah Helfrich said successful the USPS quality release. 

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