The United States Postal Service released a list of the cities where postal workers suffer the most dog attacks. Needless to say, if you work for USPS in Los Angeles, you better watch out for dogs.
LA topped the list, with 69 postal workers getting bit by dogs in the 2012 fiscal year. Seattle and San Antonio are tied for second place with 42 each, while there were 41 dog attacks on postal workers in Chicago.
The post office said that a total of 5,879 letter carriers attacked by dogs during the last fiscal year. However, they noted that 4.7 million Americans were bitten by dogs in 2012.
“If our letter carriers deem your loose dog to be a threat, you’ll be asked to pick up your mail at the Post Office until it’s safe to deliver,” Ken Snavely, acting postmaster of Los Angeles, said in the statement.
The Atlantic Cities notes that the stats were released before National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which goes from May 19-25. It is run by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation to promote dog bite prevention. The group notes that there are 70 million dogs in American homes, leading to millions getting bitten by dogs.
Here’s the USPS’ top 10 list of the cities with the most reported dog attacks on letter carriers in the 2012 fiscal year:
1. Los Angeles (69 attacks)
2. (tie) San Antonio and Seattle (42)
3. Chicago (41)
4. San Francisco (38)
5. Philadelphia (34)
6. Detroit (33)
7. St. Louis (32)
8. (tie) Baltimore and Sacramento (29)
9. (tie) Houston and Minneapolis (27)
10. (tie) Buffalo and Brooklyn (24)