‘Ruff’ year: Nearly 6K mail carriers attacked by dogs in 2023

They had a ‘ruff’ year.

There were 5,800 mail carriers attacked by dogs last year — about 500 more hair-raising incidents than in 2022, according to the latest rankings from the United States Postal Service.

“Letter carriers are exposed to potential hazards every day, none more prevalent than a canine encounter,” said Leeann Theriault, USPS manager of employee safety and health awareness. “All it takes is one interaction for a letter carrier to possibly suffer an injury.”

Among the states, New York ranked 6th in most dog attacks on mail carriers with 296 incidents, though the number improved from 2022, when there were 321 cases.

As in 2022, California topped the list of states with the most dog bites. In 2023, the state notched 727 mail carrier dog bites, up from 675 incidents in 2022, USPS indicated.

New York City didn’t make the list of the top 20 cities with the most dog bites. Los Angeles bested everyone with 65 incidents.

The USPS released the national rankings ahead of its “National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign,” which begins Sunday.