New York ranked third in dog attacks on mail carriers, USPS says
NEW YORK - It may be something out of comedies we all know and love, but it's not funny for mail carriers, especially when you consider how many times it happens.
According to a new report from the U.S. Postal Service, mail carriers were attacked by dogs more than 5,300 times in 2022, a slight drop from 2021 when more than 5,400 postal employees were attacked.
The report reveals that California witnessed the highest number of dog attacks on mail carriers, closely followed by Texas. Remarkably, New York secured the third position, with 321 recorded incidents.
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More than 3,500 Postal Service workers were attacked by dogs while delivering the mail in 2022, according to the U.S. Postal Service.
"One accident is too many, one dog bite is too many, and we try to eliminate that as much as we can," said Paul Stremel, a human resource manager for USPS.
The USPS is doing what they can to keep mail carriers vigilant.
"Dealing with dogs specifically, we ask our carriers to be alert, right, and part of that is not wearing headsets in areas or earbuds, so they can be aware of what’s going on around them," Stremel said.
Officials are also asking pet owners to help keep mail carriers safe by keeping dogs inside, behind a fence, or on a leash when mail carriers arrive.