The Portland metro area garnered a top 10 spot in a nationwide ranking. It’s not exactly an occasion to celebrate.
The city was tied with Minnesota for seventh in the United States in dog attacks on Postal Service letter carriers in 2010.
Statistics released this afternoon by the Postal Service showed that 35 mail delivery people were attacked by dogs in Portland, shy of the 62 attacks on mailmen and women in Houston. Up north, Seattle ranked 10th with 28 incidences of bites.
The Postal Service’s announcement is meant to highlight National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 15 to 21.
In total, 5,669 postal employees were attacked in more than 1,400 cities. Annually, 4.7 million American are bitten by dogs, with the majority of attacks on children.
Medical expenses from dog bite injuries cost the Postal Service $1.2 million last year. More than one-third of all homeowners’ insurance liability claims paid last year — $413 million — involved dog bites, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Other cities in the top 10 were Columbus, Ohio, San Diego, Los Angeles, Louisville, Ky., San Antonio, St. Louis, Cleveland, Phoenix, Denver, Philadelphia and Sacramento.
