Metro Atlanta postal workers cover hundreds of miles daily delivering letters and packages, but at least one occupational hazard isn’t as prevalent as in other major cities: dog bites.
The Postal Service says Atlanta ranks 29th among the top 30 cities for dog bites. Atlanta, which had 12 bites last year, shared the 29th spot with Aurora, Colo., Milwaukee, Wis., San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Youngstown, Ohio, each of which also had 12 bites.
Georgia, meanwhile, ranked 10th nationally last year in the number of State Farm dog bite insurance claims: 106. The insurer said $2.1 million was paid out last year. Nationally, $104 million was paid as a result of 3,700 dog bite claims.
The Postal Service said 5,581 postal carriers were bitten last year nationally. In releasing the national findings, Postal Service Manager of Safety Linda DeCarlo said carriers often hear, “Don’t worry. My dog won’t bite.”
The No. 1 city for postal bites was Houston, with 63 attacks, followed by Los Angeles (61), Cleveland (58), San Diego (53) and Chicago (47).
Both reports were released in advance of National Dog Bite Prevention Week next week.
