HONOLULU (KHON2) — More than 5,800 U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees nationwide were attacked by dogs last year. In Hawaii, employees were the victims in 19 dog bite attacks.

That’s a 58% increase over last year’s total of 12.

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“Hawaii’s total numbers may not be very high compared to mainland cities and states,” said USPS Safety Manager Richard Anderson. “But every single incident is traumatic for our employees, as well as for the customers whose dogs do the attacking. We don’t want anyone to have to deal with the physical and emotional pain or the expense and guilt of a preventable dog attack on a postal employee.”

Below are the communities in which USPS Hawaii employees were attacked by dogs. Honolulu, with five dog bites, is tied with 47 other cities for the 33rd-highest total of incidents. According to USPS, Houston leads the nation with 73 dog bite incidents.

HONOLULUHI5
WAIANAEHI3
WAHIAWAHI2
EWA BEACHHI1
HILOHI1
KAHULUIHI1
KAILUAHI1
KANEOHEHI1
KAPAAHI1
MAKAWAOHI1
WAILUKUHI1
WAIPAHUHI1

USPS is reminding the public on the do’s and don’ts of responsible dog ownership as part of its annual National Dog Bite Awareness Week public service campaign.

  • Securing your dog as the carrier approaches your property for delivery will reduce the chances of a negative encounter.
  • Remind your children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as your family dog may view the carrier as a threat.
  • When a letter carrier comes to your home, please keep your dogs:
    • Inside the house or behind a fence
    • Away from the door or in another room
    • On a leash

USPS is also reminding customers of its free Informed Delivery service, which gives customers a digital preview of the mail and packages that are scheduled to be delivered. This way, customers can take precautions and secure their dog when packages are delivered to the door. Sign up here.