According to a new study, Dallas recorded one of the highest numbers of dog attacks on postal workers last year.
While they are often the butt of a joke in movies and television, dog attacks on postal workers are from fiction. Unfortunately for workers in Dallas, those attacks are numerous and rank among the highest in the nation.
According to the USPS, postal workers in Dallas faced 43 dog attacks in 2024 alone, the sixth highest number of any city in the United States. Los Angeles ranked No. 1 with 77 attacks, followed by Houston with 65, and Chicago in third with 57.
Ranked by state, Texas experienced the second-highest number of attacks in the country, with 438.
The study, released on May 29, says the United States recorded more than 6,000 dog attacks in 2024, up from 5,300 in 2022. The findings were unveiled to coincide with the 2025 USPS National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign, a month-long endeavor throughout June. This year’s theme is “Secure Your Dog, Keep Deliveries on Track.”
“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, per the release.
“Dog bite attacks on postal employees are preventable. 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.”
USPS suggests people secure their dog in a separate room before carriers approach their property. If kept outside, the postal service urges people to keep their dogs on a leash.
The government agency also says children should not be encouraged to take mail directly from a letter carrier since canines might perceive them as a threat to the child.