ALEXANDRIA, Va - The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has released national dog attack rankings in preparation for National Dog Bite Awareness Week starting June 5. Youngstown is now in the top 25.

Youngstown ranked 24th on the Postal Service's list of the top 25 cities with the most dog attacks with a total of 16 dog biting incidents involving postal workers in 2021.

Additionally, the state of Ohio cracked the top three in the USPS's top 10 states with the most dog attacks for 2020 and 2021 with Ohio ranking third with 369 attacks in 2020 and 359 in 2021.

With Dog Bite Awareness week just around the corner, USPS has some tips to keep dogs under control and to prevent future dog attacks in Youngstown and everywhere else.

USPS warns that even if your dog is friendly, it may still react aggressively toward strangers and perceived intruders.

That's why USPS advises dog owners to familiarize themselves with the schedules of mail carriers and during that time keep their dogs inside the house, behind a fence, away from the door or on a leash.

Dog owners are also advised not to let their children take mail directly from the mail carrier, as dogs could perceive this as a threat.

According to USPS Safety and Health Senior Director, Linda DeCarlo, each year, nearly 6,000 mail carriers are attacked by dogs while on their routes.

"Please deliver for us by being responsible pet owners and make sure dogs are secured when our carrier comes to your mailbox," DeCarlo said.

Other Ohio cities made the list including Akron and Cleveland with Cleveland topping the list with a total of 58 attacks last year.