Manager, Employee Safety and Health Awareness
Don’t Turn Your Back on Dog Bite Prevention
Thanks to the efforts of our customers and communities, mail delivery became safer last year, with dog attacks involving U.S. Postal Service employees falling from 6,088 in 2024 to 5,246 in 2025.
That 14 percent drop in attacks is the kind of progress that matters. It shows that when all of us stay alert and take simple precautions, we can reduce preventable injuries and protect the postal employees who serve our neighborhoods.
As I noted last year, we saw an increase in dog attacks in 2024, so in 2025 we turned what was typically a weeklong campaign into a full month of customer education, employee training and targeted outreach to the 20 cities with the highest number of dog attacks.
The goal was to reverse that upward trend of dog attacks. And it worked.
This year, we want to keep that momentum moving in the right direction. That’s why we’ve unveiled “Don’t Turn Your Back on Dog Bite Prevention” to remind customers to stay aware, stay prepared and keep their dogs secure whenever a mail carrier is nearby.
Many dog attacks happen at the front door. A customer opens the door to receive a package, a child runs ahead and leaves it ajar, someone steps outside to retrieve mail or a dog slips out after the mail carrier has already walked away.
These are not unusual situations. They happen multiple times every day, which is exactly why they deserve our attention. Even dogs that are normally calm can react suddenly when they feel surprised, protective or overstimulated.
Dog bite prevention is not just about what mail carriers do on the job. It depends on what happens at each destination before, during and after delivery. Postal employees are trained to stay alert, but customers play a critical role. When dog owners anticipate a delivery and secure their pet, they help protect their mail carrier, their family and their dog.
“Don’t Turn Your Back on Dog Bite Prevention” is a reminder that one distracted moment at the door can lead to an injury in seconds.
For our customers, this year’s message is clear: be mindful of your dog’s movements when your packages and mail arrive, especially at the front door. That’s why, if a mail carrier is at or near your home, you should take these steps to help keep everyone safe:
- Secure your dog before opening the door.
- Keep your dog in a separate room or area away from the entry during delivery.
- Watch your surroundings when retrieving mail or packages.
- Make sure children do not open the door while a delivery is happening.
- Use Informed Delivery® notifications to help anticipate when your mail or packages will arrive.
It also helps to be prepared — visit our National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign website to learn more about how you can minimize attacks.
We are grateful to everyone who helped make last year’s reduction possible. A drop of 842 attacks is real progress that is worth building on. Now, the challenge is to keep that trend moving in the right direction by staying alert when attacks are most likely to happen.
By working together, we can help keep every delivery safe. Don’t turn your back on dog bite prevention.
Leeann Theriault
Manager, Employee Safety and Health Awareness