U.S. Postal Service’s National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign launched June 1

Jun 5, 2025, 9 AM

By Linn’s Staff

The United States Postal Service’s month-long National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign began June 1.

“Incidents involving dog attacks on Postal Service employees rose to more than 6,000 cases last year,” the Postal Service said in a May 29 press release.

The theme of this year’s campaign is “Secure Your Dog, Keep Deliveries on Track,” according to the Postal Service.

“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,” said Leeann Theriault, manager of USPS employee safety and health awareness. “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.”

“When a postal employee suffers an injury from a dog attack, it can cost the dog owner thousands of dollars because they could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering for the employee,” the Postal Service said.

According to the USPS, mail carriers are trained to observe areas where dogs may be present. They are taught to recognize possibly dangerous conditions and to respect a dog’s territory.

Mail service can be stopped if a mail carrier feels unsafe.

“If a dangerous dog issue is not resolved, owners can be required to rent a Post Office box to receive mail,” the USPS said.

According to data from the Postal Service, the top three cities with the greatest number of dog bite incidents in 2024 are Los Angeles, Calif. (77 incidents); Houston, Texas (65); and Chicago, Ill. (57).

The top three states with the greatest number of dog bite incidents in 2024 are California (701 incidents), Texas (438) and Ohio (350).

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