About 4.5 million Americans were bitten by dogs in the United States last year, including over 2 million children and 5,581 U.S. Postal Service workers, authorities announced Thursday in an effort to promote dog-bite prevention, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Houston, Texas, was ranked worst in the nation for dog attacks on letter carriers, pushing Los Angeles, last year's leader, to second place, the LA Times reported.

Dog bites are costing California insurers a a lot of money, according to the LA Times. Insurance companies in California received 1,919 dog bite claims last year, costing a total of $64.7 million, the highest of any state.

According to a report from the Insurance Information Institute and State Farm, the rise in claims from canine bites can be seen throughout the country, the LA Times. In 2013, attacks cost insurers $484 million while the number of claims climbed 5.5% from the year before, the report said.

State Farm put out a report on dog bite claims adding that any dog can bite regardless of breed, according to LA Times.

Dog encounters account for more than one-third of liability costs for homeowners insurance, as well, the LA Times reported.

"The increase in the number of claims may be attributable to non-bite injuries that are being captured in the analysis, which can include scratching, tripping, knocking down or frightening a person," the report said, according to the LA Times.

Loretta Worters, a spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute, said the average cost per claim has climbed more than 45% in the last decade, the LA Times reported. "Increased medical costs, as well as the size of settlements, judgments and jury awards given to plaintiffs, which are still on the upswing," she added.

New York saw 965 dog bite claims totaling $41.6 million last year, placing New York behind California, according to the LA Times. The $43,122 average surpassed even the Golden State's $33,709.