Comments
ANIMAL WATCH - A U.S. Postal Service mail carrier was severely injured on October 11, 2025, when she was attacked by a Pit Bull (pictured above) while delivering mail in Long Island, NY, according to the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office,
When the carrier tried to return to her vehicle, the vicious dog followed and continued the attack. The sheriff’s office said Newberry Police Department officers rushed to the scene and sprayed the dog with repellant to stop the attack and helped the letter carrier, after calling for Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
The USPS employee suffered severe injuries to both her upper and lower body and was immediately airlifted to a hospital for treatment.
PIT BULL “DIDN’T GET TO HER HEAD”
The injuries were so serious that Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster told reporters, “I guess if there’s anything that could be blessed, it’s that they didn’t get to her head,”
Newberry County Animal Control was also immediately called to the scene. Animal Control Officers captured the Pit Bull and transported it to the shelter, where it was quarantined with the agreement of the owner. There was no indication of whether the dog had a current rabies vaccination or was licensed. However, official reports say it was on the owner’s property at the time of the attack.
As of October 18, People Magazine confirmed there has been no update on the condition of the carrier.
USPS announced that it is “working with animal control, the Newberry Police Department and the sheriff’s office to investigate the attack and determine whether it warrants charges for the dog’s owner.
U.S. Postal Service noted in 2023, there were more than 5,800 dog attacks against postal workers in the U.S., but in 2024, that number rose to over 6,000. The average insurance claim for a dog attack exceeds $64,000, the USPS said, for which the dog owner is responsible.
NOT ALL ATTACKS ARE BY DOGS: “MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS” BLAMED FOR ASSAULT ON CARRIER
Attacker with “Realistic Toy Gun” Assaults Mail Carrier
Police reported they arrested a suspect after a USPS carrier in Gresham, Ore., was “punched multiple times while delivering the mail.”
“Officials said the suspected attacker was “experiencing a mental health crisis” when the incident occurred.
He was also carrying a “realistic-looking toy gun.”
Police said “the suspect approached the on-duty mail carrier, punched him several times, and then ran away.” However, officers report they “later found him in a parking lot and detained him.”
“He was cited for harassment,” officers said.
A May 2024 report issued by the U.S. General Accountability Office states that attacks and other serious crimes against postal workers have risen from 656 in 2017 to almost double in 2023 at 1,198.
POSTAL WORKER RECORDED ASSAULT IN PHILADELPHIA
In Philadelphia, a USPS mail carrier hit “record” on her phone when a man attacked her for blocking the road with her truck, according to a Worker’s Compensation report on October 11..
The police report states that “a 25-year-old male, Fabian Colon, was arrested and faces multiple charges following a criminal incident, when “a postal worker was making deliveries and had to temporarily block the road while she delivered a package.”
Colon reportedly approached the carrier about the mail truck. After their initial interaction, Colon entered the vehicle and attempted to “move the mail truck himself.”
The 23-year-old mail carrier grabbed the keys to the truck and started to record the interaction on her phone. The police report stated, “Colon then physically assaulted the letter carrier and grabbed her phone.”
But, the phone continued to record the attack, and neighbors on the one-way road also used their phones to film the event.. One of those videos was posted to social media, officials said, and “it is now part of their investigation.”
A resident on the block said postal workers often have to double-park on the narrow street to make quick deliveries.
The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment. A U.S. Postal inspector told reporters they “were aware of the incident and are cooperating with police in the investigation.”
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT CHARGES BROUGHT
Colon was charged with aggravated assault, robbery, theft by unlawful taking, simple assault, and related offenses. He was able to make bail and will have his initial court date on Oct. 21, officials said.
CARRIER BEATEN DURING “MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS”
In Gresham, Ore., police have arrested a suspect in connection with a September incident where a letter carrier was punched multiple times while delivering the mail.
Officials said the suspected attacker “was experiencing a mental health crisis when the incident occurred.”
The suspect was arrested for the assault, according to the report. Police said the suspect approached the on-duty mail carrier, punched him several times, and then ran away.
Officers said they “later found the suspect wandering around in a parking lot. He was carrying what appeared to be a realistic-looking toy gun. Police said they were able to detain the suspect without incident.
The suspect was then taken to a hospital for evaluation and cited for harassment, officers said. There was no comment on damages to the victim.
ATTACKS BY DOGS – USPS STATISTICS
According to the May 2024 report from the U.S. General Accountability Office, attacks and other serious crimes against postal workers are on the rise:
In 2017, the office noted only 656 crimes or attacks. By 2023, that number had almost doubled to 1,198.
In addition, the U.S. Postal Service noted in 2023, there were more than 5,800 dog attacks against postal workers in the U.S., but in 2024, that number rose to over 6,000.
(The average insurance claim for a dog attack exceeds $64,000, the USPS said, for which the dog owner is responsible.)
In the report, the GAO also found:
- Increased crime: Serious crimes against U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees rose almost every year between fiscal years 2017 and 2023.
- Growing robberies: Robberies, the most common type of serious crime, increased nearly sevenfold from FY 2019 to FY 2023.
- Firearm use: These robberies increasingly involved firearms.
- Targeting of keys: A primary target of robberies has been the universal "arrow keys" used by carriers to access mailboxes. (These are currently being replaced in metropolitan areas by a system of electronic locks.)
- May 2025 updates on postal worker safety and resultant costs::
- Information from a June 2025 letter from members of Congress to the GAO indicated that security measures were being implemented, including high-security mail collection boxes and the replacement of universal arrow keys with more secure electronic mechanisms.
- Arrests and Enforcement:
- The U.S. Postal Inspection Service reported in March 2024 that “arrests for letter carrier robberies had increased by 73% in fiscal year 2024.”
ATTACKS ON MAIL CARRIERS BY DOGS AND HUMANS RISING
Los Angeles reported 77 dog attacks on U.S. Postal Service (USPS) carriers in 2024, making it the #1 dog-bite city in the nation after reaching a 7-year high nationwide.
83 postal workers were bitten by dogs across Long Island last year ...
YouTube · CBS New York (June 11, 2025)
See: L.A. Named Most Dangerous City for Mail Carriers—Dog Attacks Surge in 2024
WHY DOES THIS MATTER TO YOU? – IT’S YOUR MONEY!
- In 2025 the cost of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp rose by 5 cents, from 73 cents to 78 cents. This is just part of a broader 7.4% increase across mailing services.
HOW MAILING COST IS INCREASING
In 2024, USPS implemented its sixth rate increase since 2021, raising the price of a First-Class stamp from 68 cents to 73 cents.
This was intended to stabilize finances, but it also reportedly resulted in a decline in mail volume (down 1.3 billion pieces since 2020.)
Of course, electronic mail technology and other innovations also contributed to this decline. However, USPS still provides daily mail service to every community in the U.S.
(See the historical breakdown of the cost of a first-class stamp. Since 2000, it has seen a rapid series of price increases, from 55 cents in early 2021 to 78 cents in July 2025.)
DOG OWNERS CAN HELP STOP DOG ATTACKS ON USPS CARRIERS
Although protecting a carrier against a human who might be a potential threat is incumbent on USPS and the alertness of the employee, the public can help keep the community safer and keep USPS costs under control by making every effort as an individual and a group to assure USPS delivery employees are safe from attacks by dogs:
- Report dangerous or roaming dogs to your local animal-control agency immediately; and, if no action is taken by the owner, repeat the complaint.
- Keep your own dog(s) restrained or inside at the time of mail delivery; especially a dog that is protective and/or can easily jump a fence or reach over it.
YOUR ACTIONS MATTER
Collecting reimbursement for the cost of dog bites can be a long and arduous process, even if it is ultimately settled by a court..
Many dog owners are renters or home owners who do not have adequate insurance to cover the costs, even if awarded to a victim by a judge. However, USPS must continue to pay the employee’s medical costs and salary during time off work when injured on the job. This all contributes to increased postal rates.
Dangerous dogs on a property near you or not properly confined in your community should be reported to your local post office manager and to your local animal control agency—and the report repeated until action is taken. Homeowners’ associations should also be advised.
Dog bites or human attacks on Postal employees can affect us all in many ways, and none of them are good!
(Phyllis M. Daugherty is a former Los Angeles City employee and a long-time animal welfare advocate. A contributor to CityWatchLA, she is known for her investigative reporting on animal shelter operations, misuse of public funds, and the dangers of poorly regulated pet adoption policies. She is a strong proponent of public safety in animal control, advocating for stricter oversight of aggressive dog breeds, especially pit bulls, and for breed-specific legislation.)
