MACON, Ga. — Dogs and postal workers have long had a tumultuous relationship.
But in an effort to raise awareness of the risks postal workers face each day, the United States Postal Service shares data about dog attacks against postal workers in the U.S. each year.
While their campaign was during the start of June, the data still can be a useful reminder of the risks mail carriers face.
In the state of Georgia, dogs attacked Postal Service employees 111 times in 2023, data from the United States Postal Service show.
Compared to the rest of the nation, the postal service says Georgia ranks 17th based on the total number of dog attacks against postal workers.
However, that is a noticeable jump compared to 2022.
Last year, Georgia ranked only 24th in the nation with 74 total dog attacks against postal workers. That means dog bites against postal service employees rose roughly 50% compared to last year.
What about Macon?
So what about here in Macon? Are Macon dogs friendlier than other dogs in Georgia?
Of the 111 dog attacks in Georgia, 1.8% of the attacks came from Macon. In 2023, Macon saw only two dog attacks against postal workers.
However, that number is in line with Macon's percent of Georgia's population, since Macon has roughly 1.5% of Georgia's population.
Dog attacks by state:
But which state had the most dog attacks against mail carriers? That came out to the most populous state in the U.S., California, with 727 attacks in 2023.
Texas ranked second for most dog attacks against postal workers with a total of 411 dog attacks last year.
Top 10 states by number of dog attacks against postal workers:
- California: 727
- Texas: 411
- Ohio: 359
- Pennsylvania: 334
- Illinois: 316
- New York: 296
- Florida: 193
- North Carolina: 185
- Michigan: 183
- Missouri: 180
However, it is important to note that this data is simply the total number of attacks against postal workers per state, which means population differences between states are not taken into consideration.
Because of that, more populous states likely have more mail being delivered and postal workers out in the community, which could likely play a significant impact on the rankings.
That is seen clearly by the rankings of dog attacks against postal workers by the city. The most populous cities are highly represented in the top five cities with some exceptions.
Top 5 cities by number of dog attacks against postal workers:
- Los Angeles: 65
- Houston: 56
- Chicago: 48
- St Louis: 46
- Cleveland: 44
How to prevent your local mail carrier from becoming a dog attack statistic?
Mail carriers are trained to avoid provoking dogs while out on their routes, but they do have tips to prevent your furry friend from attacking your local mail carrier.
When a postal worker comes to your house, they encourage you to keep your dog in your house or behind a fence. They also encourage you to keep your dog away from the door or in another room. Lastly, if you can't do that, they encourage you to keep your dog on a leash just in case.