LA Mail Carriers, Among Nation's Most Nibbled, to Begin Tracking Aggressive Dogs

LOS ANGELES, CA - Los Angeles ranks fourth in the nation when it comes to dogs attacking U.S. Postal Service mail carriers, although the city saw a dramatic drop from last year.

According to the USPS, there were 56 letter carriers attacked by dogs in Los Angeles in 2015, down from 75 the previous year.

San Diego is tied with Cleveland for second on the list, with 58 attacks. For San Diego, that was an increase of 11 from 2014.

"Dogs are protective in nature and may view our letter carriers handing mail to their owner as a threat," USPD Safety Director Linda DeCarlo said.

Houston, Texas, ranked worst in the country for dog attacks, with 77 last year, up from 63 in 2014. Chicago and Dallas tied for third with 57 attacks, while Louisville, Kentucky, ranked fifth behind Los Angeles with 51 attacks last year.

USPS officials said they are taking a pair of steps to improve safety for letter carriers. Beginning Friday, customers who go online to schedule a package pickup at their homes will be asked to indicate if there is a dog at the home, so carriers can be aware an animal is present.

Later this spring, postal carriers will be able to use their Mobile Delivery Devices to note addresses where dogs are present.

The rankings of dog attacks were released Wednesday in conjunction with National Dog Bite Prevention Week. USPS officials urged people to take commonsense steps to protect letter carriers, by keeping dogs in a separate room with a locked door if letter carriers deliver mail to the front door, and reminding children not to take mail directly from letter carriers if a dog is present.

Postal Service officials said that homeowners determined to have threatening animals may be asked to pick up their mail at the Post Office.

City News Service; Photo: Youtube