Richmond led Virginia in dog bites of mail carriers
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Richmond was the top city in Virginia for dog bite attacks of mail carriers last year.
Why it matters: In this case, No. 1 is not the ranking we want. At least if we want our mail.
Gnawing the news: Richmond USPS carriers endured 10 dog bite attacks in 2025, according to postal stats shared with Axios.
- That's up from seven dog attacks of Richmond carriers in 2024, but fewer than the 11 we had in 2023.
- In statewide rankings, Norfolk came in second (8 dog attacks), followed by by Alexandria (7), Newport News (6) and Hampton and Arlington, with five each.
😏 Fun fact: To our knowledge, none of those incidents involved dogs belonging to baseball team owners.
- And no Virginia city comes close to the top cities in the nation for dog bite incidents, led by L.A.
Context: June is dog bite awareness month for the postal service, which compiles and shares the data on carrier-vs.-dog incidents in an effort to tamp down the attacks.
- The initiative isn't just because mail carriers prefer not being bitten by dogs. Aggressive, roaming pets can actually interrupt postal service, per USPS.
- And dog owners could be financially responsible for medical bills or lost wages if their pet attacks a carrier.
Yes, but: When it comes to dog bites, Virginia is a "one-bite" state, which means dog owners have to know their animal has a history of aggression (as in, has previously bitten someone) to be held liable for injuries inflected.
Zoom out: Last year, there were more than 5,200 dog attacks of USPS workers nationwide, including 126 in Virginia — which ranked 14th in the nation (better than our No. 12 ranking in 2024).
The bottom line: Be kind to the postman and secure your dog when your mail carrier is out. And even when they aren't.