The joys of summer break in California come with an unfortunate reality for many United States Postal Service carriers: dog bites.
June 1 marked the start of the postal service’s month-long National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign. When school is out, the frequency of dog bites increases as more children are home, often spending time outside with their furry friends.
Cherice Harris, USPS safety engagement leader for the Los Angeles district, encourages the community to keep their dogs inside when they see a carrier.
“We know the kids love the postman, and they love to get the mail, but we want the kids to know that they’ve got to close their gates and close their doors,” Harris said.
This year’s campaign follows a 7-year-high of more than 6,000 dog attacks on Postal Service workers in 2024. According to USPS data, LA leads U.S. cities with 77 attacks.
Harris said LA is “notorious” for ranking high in dog bites.
“We usually rank the top five for dog bites every year, and we are doing as much as we possibly can to eliminate that, but we need the public’s help,” Harris said.
Dog bites not only cause disruptions in mail delivery, said mail carrier Patricia Gilmore, but also cost the Post Office money. When a postal employee is bitten or injured from a dog attack, the dog owner may also have to pay thousands of dollars for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs and pain experienced by the employees.
“I don’t care if it’s a small puppy to a Rottweiler. Every dog counts,” Gilmore said. “All we want to do is do our job and get home to our family safety like everyone else.”
Families are urged to take the time to secure a dog in a separate room or on a leash before the carrier approaches. If the mailbox is outside, the USPS recommends closing doors firmly to avoid a dog unexpectedly slipping through.
Postal workers are trained to use their satchels, dog spray and dog warning cards, which inform workers and carriers of an animal’s presence.
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