NY ranks among top 5 states for USPS dog attacks: See city-by-city data

New York saw some of the most dog attack incidents involving postal workers in 2024, according to a recent report from the U.S. Postal Service.

USPS released nationwide dog attack data earlier this month in accordance with their month-long National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign, which began on June 1.

“The best way to keep safe from dog attacks is to recognize and promote the responsibility of pet ownership, such as teaching your dog appropriate behavior and commands and not allowing your dog to roam freely,” says USPS employee safety and health awareness manager Leeann Theriault. “Dog bite attacks on postal employees are preventable.”

Here’s what to know.

How many dog attack incidents did New York have last year?

Over 300 dog attacks involving postal workers took place in the Empire State in 2024, USPS data shows, putting New York in the top five state for these types of incidents. Here are the states with the most dog attack incidents in 2024:

1. California: 701
2. Texas: 438
3. Ohio: 350
4. Illinois: 344
5. New York: 322
6. Pennsylvania: 316
7. Michigan: 231
8. Florida: 210
9. Missouri: 207
10. North Carolina: 169

Rochester had the most dog attack incidents in New York in 2024 with 23, according to USPS. Here’s a look at how many dog attack incidents occurred in other New York cities last year:

• New York City: 12
• Buffalo: 10
• Syracuse: 6
• Binghamton: 5
• Watertown: 5
• White Plains: 3

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How you can keep your local postal workers safe

USPS is asking dog owners to secure their dogs by keeping them in a separate area away from the door when their mail is being delivered and to not accept mail from their carrier in the presence of the dog to reduce the potential for any incident to occur.

If you’re outside with your dog when your mail is being delivered, make sure your dog is secured away from the carrier and on a leash.

Postal workers are trained to be alert for any potentially dangerous conditions and to respect a dog’s territory and if an attack were to take place, they are also taught to stand their ground and protect their body by placing something in between themselves and the dog.

USPS also warned customers of the potential for their mail service to be stopped if a carrier doesn’t feel safe delivering mail due to your dog’s behavior. If that happens, you would have to instead pick up your mail at your local post office until the carrier feels safe enough to restart their delivery and if the issue isn’t resolved, you may be required to rent a Post Office box to receive your mail.

Emily Barnes on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network’s New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com.

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