More than 5,800 postal workers reported dog bites during 2020 delivery runs, according to a new U.S. Postal Service report.
The report was released on Thursday, just before the start of National Dog Bite Awareness Week on Sunday. The annual awareness week’s theme this year is “Be Aware: Any Dog Can Bite.”
“From nips and bites to vicious attacks, aggressive dog behavior poses a serious threat to postal employees and the general public,” the USPS wrote in a statement.
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The number of postal workers incurring dog bites likely saw an uptick last year due to the surge in e-commerce shopping during the peak months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when people often opted for online shopping rather than venturing out to retail stores.
Pet adoptions also surged during the pandemic as people were confined to their homes, thus leading to more opportunities for pets to escape and bite a postal worker.
Houston had the highest number of dog bite reports, with 73 carriers attacked, and Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, and Denver rounded out the nation’s top five, according to data collected by the USPS.
As delivery becomes a more prevalent method for shopping, dog attacks could increase among workers for companies such as Amazon, UPS, and FedEx. However, UPS told Axios the company has not seen an increase in dog bites at this time.
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UPS and the USPS have implemented hard-line policies for their delivery personnel, instructing workers not to deliver packages to doors if they encounter an aggressive animal.
The Washington Examiner contacted UPS and FedEx but did not immediately receive a response.
