California leads US for dog attacks on postal workers. Which cities had the most?
From comic strips to movies and television shows, dogs’ animosity toward mail carriers is a well-known trope.
California is the worst state for dog bites and attacks involving U.S. Postal Service employees, according to a new report by the federal agency
Mail carriers in California reported 701 dog attacks in 2024, making it the worst state for canine altercations, the Postal Service said in a May 30 news release.
It’s the eighth year in a row the Golden State has topped the list.
Texas came in second place with 438 dog attacks last year, the Postal Service said, and Ohio took third place with 350 canine incidents.
More than 6,000 postal employees were attacked by dogs nationwide in 2024, the release said.
Have attacks on postal workers gotten worse in California?
Although California led the nation in terms of dog bites involving letter carriers, the state improved slightly from the previous year.
The Postal Service reported a total of 727 dog attacks on California postal workers in 2023, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.
In comparison, 675 mail carriers in California were bitten or attacked by dogs in 2022.
What happens if a USPS mail carrier is bitten by a dog?
If a letter carrier “feels a house or neighborhood is unsafe to deliver the mail,” the Postal Service said, it can stop service to that address.
“Until the carrier feels safe enough to restart delivery, the mail will have to be picked up at the dog owner’s local post office,” the Postal Service said in its release.
Pet owners who fail to resolve a “dangerous dog issue” could be required to rent a post office box to receive mail, the federal agency said.
What are the worst cities for dog attacks in United States?
In 2024, six California cities ranked among the worst places in the United States for dog attacks on mail carriers — including the state capital, according to the Postal Service.
Postal workers in Sacramento experienced 21 dog attacks in 2024, the Postal Service said. That’s the same number as El Paso, Texas, and Toledo, Ohio.
Los Angeles and San Diego both landed on the agency’s list of the top 10 cities for dog bites involving letter carriers — ranking at No. 1 and No. 9, respectively — while Sacramento was No. 23, San Francisco was No. 25, Stockton was No. 29 and Oakland was No. 30.
According to the Postal Service, these 10 cities reported the most dog bites or attacks in the United States in 2025:
- Los Angeles: 77 dog bites or attacks in 2024
- Houston: 65 dog attacks
- Chicago: 57 dog attacks
- St. Louis: 47 dog attacks
- Cincinnati: 44 dog attacks
- Dallas: 43 dog attacks
- Kansas City: 40 dog attacks
- Cleveland: 40 dog attacks
- San Diego: 35 dog attacks
- Denver: 34 dog attacks
How to prevent dog bites
The Postal Service offered these tips to protect mail carriers and prevent dog attacks:
- If your dog is outdoors, keep it on a leash or behind a fence
- Keep your dog in a separate room or area away from the door when the mail carrier comes to your house.
- If you go outside, close the door firmly behind you and make sure it’s secured
- Never accept mail from your carrier in the presence of your dog
- Remind children not to take mail directly from a carrier when a dog is present
This story was originally published July 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
