Fang mail: Florida No. 8 among states in number of dog attacks on postal workers

More than 5,400 postal employees were attacked by dogs across the nation in 2021, with Florida coming in eighth among states with the most canine-related injuries, according to the U.S. Postal Service. California was No. 1. 

“From nips and bites to vicious attacks, aggressive dog behavior poses a serious threat to postal employees and the public,” the USPS said in a statement. 

Carriers have had more interaction with canines—thus more opportunities for attacks—since the beginning of the pandemic because of the higher volume of home deliveries, according to the USPS blog. 

Nevertheless, the total number of dog attacks was down from 2020—5,800 were reported that year, according a USPS press release.

In 2021, Cleveland was the city that had the most-reported dog bites (58). Miami was the only Florida city on the list, with 18 reported bites, ranking it at No. 22. Not all cities and towns nationwide, though, report the number of USPS carriers bitten by dogs.

Here are the top 10 states for postal carrier dog bites last year:

                          2020    2021

California          787     656

Texas                 410    368

Ohio                   369    359

Pennsylvania    296     281

Michigan           253     244

New York          294     239

Illinois               289    226

Florida              199    201

Washington      122   139

Kentucky          121  123

The top 25 states include dog attack reports from 32 cities. For information about how many postal workers were attacked by dogs by city or town, click here.