Neither Snow Nor Rain…Nor 6,000 Dog Bites

The Unsung Heroes of Your Mailbox

May 30, 2025

Every day, across 169 million addresses, America’s mail carriers head out with a simple mission: get the mail to your door. Rain or shine, heat wave or polar vortex, they hustle down cracked sidewalks, weave through parked cars, and dodge rogue sprinklers. But their most persistent foe? The family dog.

Last year, more than 6,000 postal workers were bitten by dogs. That’s about 16 carriers bitten every single day. It’s such a problem that the USPS kicks off its annual Dog Bite Awareness Campaign every June.

The Biting Reality

The Postal Service released its 2024 dog bite rankings, which are not exactly the kind of list you want to be on. Los Angeles topped the chart with 77 bites. Houston followed with 65. Chicago logged 57, St. Louis 47, and Cincinnati 44.

By state, California leads the pack with 701 incidents, followed by Texas at 438, Ohio at 350, Illinois at 344, and New York at 322.

And this isn’t just a big-city problem. It’s happening everywhere. When a carrier gets bitten, it’s not just a quick bandage and moving on. The costs pile up—medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacements, and pain and suffering. A single dog bite claim can cost thousands. Multiple incidents can lead to lawsuits; if it’s bad enough, mail service for an entire neighborhood can be suspended.

That’s right—if a carrier feels unsafe, they can stop delivering. No letters, packages, or birthday cards. Just grumbling and trips to the post office.

The War Stories

These aren’t just numbers. They’re real people getting hurt—sometimes in ways that sound absurd.

Like Jonah Helfrich in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. Jonah was doing his job when a dog burst through the front door and sank its teeth into his wrist. That’s not a minor scrape. It meant medical treatment, time off, and a lot of stress.

Or George Hinton in Woodridge, Virginia, who thought he was safe behind a chain-link fence—until the dog cleared it like an Olympic hurdler. George barely had time to throw his mailbag in front of him. The dog went for the bag and tore it to pieces. George walked away shaken, but unbitten.

Then there’s Darnell Washington in Detroit. He trusted an electric fence to keep a dog in the yard. Bad idea. The fence worked fine—until the dog’s collar battery died. That’s when Zeus, the family’s German shepherd, took off like a heat-seeking missile and bit Darnell square in the thigh. Darnell later said, “I wasn’t mad at the dog. I was mad at the batteries.”

Linda Torres in Sacramento got a surprise from a 15-pound chihuahua named Princess. Princess slipped through a cracked gate and latched onto Linda’s ankle like a tiny, furry landmine. Linda had to swat her off with a package of kitchen towels. Princess strutted back to the yard like she owned the place.

And let’s not forget Tom Benson in St. Louis. A dog didn’t attack him; he got ambushed by a goose named Gary. Gary flapped, hissed, and nipped at Tom’s legs while he tried to deliver mail. Tom fought back with a bundle of magazines. “I felt like I was in a nature documentary that nobody asked for,” he said.

Marcus Taylor in Cleveland had a different kind of dog problem. He was delivering a box of dog biscuits when the family’s German shepherd, Duke, came charging out. Marcus used the box of biscuits as a shield while Duke tore it to shreds. The kicker? Those biscuits were for Duke.

And in Miami, Luis Gonzalez had a showdown with a shih tzu. Not exactly a typical bite risk, but this one latched onto his pant leg and wouldn’t let go. A neighbor finally had to throw a bucket of water on the dog to break the grip. Luis summed it up: “It wasn’t the size of the dog. It was the size of the attitude.”

Why It Matters and How to Fix It

Mail carriers aren’t just delivering bills and online shopping regrets. They’re part of your community. They notice when mail piles up and no one’s been seen in days. They remember birthdays, graduations, and when your kid heads back to college. They make sure Grandma gets her Mother’s Day card and you get your prescriptions on time.

They have a tough job, and we don’t need to make it any tougher.

Here’s how to keep your dog—and your mail carrier—safe:

Know your carrier’s schedule: Most people know when the mail usually arrives. Secure your dog before the carrier gets to your street.
Lock the door: A screen or cracked storm door won’t stop a determined dog. Dogs are smart and strong, and if they want out, they’ll find a way.
Use a leash: Even if your dog is “just in the yard,” keep them leashed during delivery hours.
Don’t accept mail with your dog nearby: That moment when you or your kid runs out to grab a package? That’s when a dog sees the carrier as a threat.
Sign up for Informed Delivery: The USPS offers a free service to preview your mail online. It’s a great way to know when your carrier is coming so you can secure your dog. I’ve been using it for years, and it’s a game-changer.
Teach the kids: Dogs are protective. If your child takes mail from a carrier, the dog may think it’s defending the family. Let the carrier do their job safely.

Your dog might think it’s defending the homestead, but it’s risking your neighborhood’s mail service.

The Bottom Line

This isn’t just a public service announcement. It’s a reminder to be a good neighbor. What does that say about us if we don’t take care of the people who show up for us every day?

I’ve worked with the USPS on Capitol Hill and in my current role for the past decade. People like to gripe about the postal service, and sometimes that’s fair. But I’ve also worked with a lot of incredible postal employees. They deserve a little credit.

So lock the door, secure the dog, wave to your carrier, and maybe even hand them a cold bottle of water on a hot day. And if we can reduce dog bites from 6,000 to zero, that’s something worth celebrating.

Let’s Hear It for the Carriers

Got an unsung hero story or a close call with a dog on your street? Drop it in the comments. Let’s give our carriers the recognition they deserve. They’ve earned it.