Top Dog Attack Cities: USPS Releases Annual Rankings Of Dog Attack Cities In The Nation
The United States Postal Service just released their annual rankings on which cities the most dog attacks take place in 2015.
According to the USPS website, there were 6,549 employees attacked by dogs last year. This report is being shared as a means of implementing new safety initiatives to help protect its employees.
USPS Safety Director Linda DeCarlo attended a news conference upon release of the dog attack city rankings.
“Dogs are protective in nature and may view our letter carriers handing mail to their owner as a threat,” DeCarlo said at the press conference held in Houston — the city that held the No. 1 spot for dog attacks on postal workers.
Miami makes U.S. Postal Service’s list of top dog attack cities. (http://t.co/Zm6Ao5dYJ5) pic.twitter.com/pgiuxX2I9G
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) May 14, 2014
Which cities had the most dog attacks on USPS carriers in 2015? According to the Postal Service, 51 cities make up the top 30 rankings.
Houston had the most with 77 attacks; San Diego, CA, and Cleveland, OH, tied in second place with 58 dog attacks; and Chicago, IL, and Dallas, TX, ranked at No. 3 with 57 dog attacks on USPS workers.
Several others followed. They include: Los Angeles, CA (56 attacks); Louisville, KY (51 attacks); Kansas City, MO (46 attacks); Philadelphia, OH (44 attacks); Columbus, OH (43 attacks); Portland, OR (41 attacks); Fort Worth and San Antonio, TX (tied at 39 attacks); Denver, CO (38 attacks); Phoenix, AZ (36 attacks); St. Louis, MO (35 attacks); Seattle, WA (34 attacks); Detroit, MI, and Long Beach, CA (tied at 32 attacks); Indianapolis, IN, and Sacramento, CA (tied at 31 attacks); Minneapolis, MN, and Baltimore, MD (tied at 30 attacks); Miami, FL, and Cincinnati, OH (tied at 28 attacks); Brooklyn, NY (26 attacks); San Francisco, CA (25 attacks); San Jose, CA, Albuquerque, NM, and St. Paul, MN (all three cities tied for 24 dog attacks); Oakland, CA, and Milwaukee, WI (tied for 23 attacks); Charlotte, NC, and Dayton, OH (tied for 22 attacks); Las Vegas, NV (21 attacks); Pittsburgh, PA, and Jacksonville, FL (tied for 20 attacks); Rochester, NY, Stockton and Fresno, CA (all three cities tied for 19 dog attacks); Wichita, KS, Flushing, NY, and Baton Rouge, LA (all three cities tied for 18 dog attacks); Memphis, TN (17 attacks); Richmond, VA, and Salt Lake, UT (tied for 16 attacks); and New Orleans, LA, Omaha, NE, Des Moines, IA, and Toledo, OH (all four tied for 15 dog attacks against USPS workers).
Denver is the 6th worst city in the nation for dog bites. Watch Carrier Mike Fallon on @KDVR news for all the detail pic.twitter.com/yJyBDn9YPy
— USPS Colorado (@USPS_Colorado) May 19, 2015
In many cases, the numbers went up from the top dog attack cities released by the USPS in 2015. Some did go down, but a significant amount saw an increase in attacks.
DeCarlo announced two new safety measures to alert USPS Carriers of dogs on their delivery routes. The first is effective May 13 on the USPS website’s Package Pickup application. Customers will be asked to disclose if there’s a dog at their address when they schedule a package pickup. The second safety measure will be effective later this spring.
“The Mobile Delivery Devices that letter carriers use to scan packages to confirm delivery will include a feature that allows carriers to indicate the presence of a dog at an individual address,” DeCarlo explained. “This is especially helpful to substitutes who fill-in for letter carriers on their days off.”
What are some steps to prevent dog attacks on mail carriers? USPS suggests mail recipients place their dogs in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. This helps to deter dogs from barging through screen doors or plate-glass doors to reach strangers.
Parents should remind their children not to take mail directly from letter carriers with the family dog around in case it views the mail carrier handing mail to the child as a threatening gesture.
The Postal Services takes the safety of its employees seriously. If a postal worker feels threatened by an imposing dog — or if it’s running loose — the owner might be asked to pick up mail at the Post Office until arrangements have been made to assure the carrier that he or she is safe to resume home mail delivery. Moreover, if the dog is roaming the neighborhood, neighbors of the pet owner might be asked to pick up their mail at the Post Office as well.
Was your city on the list of top dog attack cities released by USPS?
[Photo Credit: Shutterstock]
