The Postal Service ranks states with the most dog attacks. Here’s where North Carolina lands.

Dog attacks on Postal Service workers is played for laughs on TV and in cartoons, but it can be a serious matter. Here’s where North Carolina ranks among the states with the most dog attacks on post office workers.

For decades in TV shows and cartoons, it’s been funny when frantic dog attacks their mortal enemy, the mailman.

In reality, it can mean medical bills, pain and suffering for the delivery person and thousands of dollars in liability for the dog owner according to the U.S. Postal Service, which released its annual list of national dog bite data in time for the 2025 USPS National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign throughout June.

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This year’s theme: “Don’t let your dog bite the hand that serves you.”

Incidents involving dog attacks on U.S. Postal Service employees rose to more than 6,000 cases last year, according to a USPS release, and Florida was the eighth-highest state in the country for dog bites with 210 incidents.

That’s more incidents than the 193 reported in 2023, but Florida ranked 7th in the nation that year. California was by far the most dangerous place for mail carrier legs with 701 attacks reported in 2024, and Texas reported 438. Ohio, with half our population, was No. 3 with 350. There were 220 bites reported in Florida in 2022.

The worst Florida cities for postal dog bites? Miami, with 17, and St. Petersburg with 15 both made the top 20 cities list. The most dangerous place to deliver mail was Los Angeles, which saw 77 dog bite reports in 2024.

“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. All dogs — regardless of breed, size or age — have the potential to bite,” said Leeann Theriault, USPS employee safety and health awareness manager.

“Dog bite attacks on postal employees are preventable,” Theriault said. “The most important message for our customers to remember during the 2025 USPS National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign is keep your dog secured and away from the carrier as the mail is being delivered. Help ensure the safety of everyone in our communities.”

Which states had the most dog attacks for postal workers?

These are the top 10 states for dog attacks in the U.S. for 2024, according to the USPS:

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

Which Florida cities had the most reported dog bites in 2024?

According to data from the USPS, the top cities in Florida for dog bites are:

• Miami: 17
• St. Petersburg: 15
• Jacksonville: 10
• Tampa: 9
• Pensacola: 8
• Orlando: 7
• Hialeah: 6
• Clearwater: 5
• Brooksville: 4
• Pompano Beach: 4
• Pembroke Pines: 4
• New Port Richey: 4
• Middleburg: 4
• Lehigh Acres: 4

How to keep your dog from attacking postal workers

Any dog, even normally non-aggressive ones, can attack if they feel their turf is being invaded.

“Customers may not consider their dog a danger to others, however, to a letter carrier like me, all dogs can be considered a threat when delivering the mail,” said Jonah Helfrich, a Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, letter carrier. “I was recently delivering mail and a dog barged through a door and bit me on the wrist, which required me to seek medical treatment. I strongly encourage all dog owners to take precautions to make sure their dog is secure when mail is being delivered.”

It’s not just the carrier who will be affected, although that’s enough. If a postal employee is injured the dog owner may be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs and pain and suffering for the carrie, and that can run into the thousands.

It can also mean your mail will be delayed, as the USPS prioritizes the safety of its workers and will ask you to come pick it up at a facility until the carrier feels safe returning to your home. If your dog is free to roam about, your neighbors also may have to go pick up their mail at the post office.

The USPS has suggestions to start a cease-fire in the eternal dog-carrier war:

• When it’s time for a letter carrier to arrive, keep dogs inside the house or behind a fence, in a different room with the door closed, or on a leash. Dogs can burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows if they feel threatened.
• Don’t let children take mail directly from a mail carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child.
• Sign up for Informed Delivery to get a heads-up on when the mail will arrive (and get photos of your mail before it gets there).

What do USPS letter carriers do to help prevent dog bites?

USPS workers are trained to be cautious when approaching an area where they know dogs may be present and to respect a dog’s territory. Letter carriers are trained to:

• Make a non-threatening noise or rattle a fence to alert a dog if entering a yard
• Never startle a dog
• Keep their eyes on any dog
• Never assume a dog will not bite
• Never attempt to pet or feed a dog
• Place their foot against an outward swinging door to prevent a dog from escaping

If a dog attacks, carriers are also trained to stand their ground and protect their body by placing something between them and the dog — such as a mail satchel — and to use dog repellent, if necessary.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: USPS lists states with the most dog attacks against mail carriers. Where did Florida rank?

Reporting by C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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