LA Drops To 2nd-Worst City For Dog Attacks On Postal Carriers; 61 Reported
LOS ANGELES (AP/CBSLA.com) — The city of Los Angeles is no longer the worst city for postal carriers, according to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
The City of Angels slipped to second on the USPS list of worst cities for dog attacks on letter carriers in 2014, even as the number of bites dipped 5 percent from the previous year, the Associated Press reported. LA was ranked number one on last year's list.
There were 61 reported dog attacks on postal carriers in Los Angeles, two shy of Houston's nation-leading 63 attacks, according to the USPS. San Diego came in fourth with 53 and was one of 62 cities to make the top 30 list because of ties.
Nationwide, postal carriers reported 5,581 dog attacks, compared with a total of 4.5 million Americans reported bitten last year.
As a state, California ranks first in the nation in total number of dog bite claims by postal carriers — 449 in 2013 — representing $14.7 million paid in claim costs, according to State Farm data.
USPS officials reminded residents that mail delivery to their home could be curtailed if a dog roams the neighborhood. Additionally, when letter carriers come to a customer's door, pet owners are asked to place dogs in a separate room and close the door, as many canines have been known to jump through screen and glass doors, officials said.
The rankings were released ahead of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which takes place during the third full week of May each year, and focuses on educating people about preventing dog bites.
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