Denver has been lucky enough to rank at the top of many “best” lists, including best place to live, best place to sell a house, and best place to work. But recently, it hit the top of a list that isn’t so welcome.

Just ask your mail carrier.

According to the United States Postal Service, Denver ranks among the cities with the highest number of dog bites USPS workers receive on the job.

In 2016, Denver came in seventh in large U.S. cities for the number of dog bites USPS workers received. Mail carriers received 47 dog bites here, more than in Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Denver ranked just below Los Angeles, Houston, Cleveland, San Diego, Lousiville, Ky., and Detroit. The number was up 24% from 2015, when dogs bit mail carriers 38 times in the city.

Alas, dog bites not only affect mail carriers, but dog owners as well, who suffer the consequences of their pet’s misbehavior.

“Dog bites and other dog-related injuries accounted for more than a third of homeowners’ liability claim dollars paid out in 2016, exceeding $600 million,” according to an article in the Denver Post, which cited the Insurance Information Institute and State Farm Insurance for the statistics. Furthermore, owners of unrestrained dogs can have their mail delivery suspended.

How to avoid the problem?

USPS suggests putting dogs in a room and closing the door before opening the front door to accept a package. Without such a precaution, “dogs sometimes burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to get at strangers,” notes the Post.

Parents should also remind their children not to take mail from mail carriers when their dog is nearby, “as the dog may view the letter carrier handing mail to a child as a threatening gesture,” reports the Post.

In all, it’s your responsibility to take the bite out of mail delivery. Here’s hoping this is one top ten list Denver doesn’t make next year!

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