Paul O'Grady backs Royal Mail's Dog Awareness Week

[POSTMAN]

TV presenter and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Ambassador Paul O’Grady is backing Royal Mail’s annual Dog Awareness Week which runs from 29 June to 4 July 2015 to raise awareness of the issue of dog attacks and encourage responsible dog ownership.

The number of attacks on average rise by over a quarter during the school holidays.

Around eight postmen and women a day are attacked by dogs across the UK.

In 2014-15 the number of dog attacks on postmen and women fell by ten per cent from more than 3,300 to over 2,960 attacks, after the change in legislation and greater understanding through our dog awareness campaigns.

Royal Mail welcomes this reduction in attacks but it is still too high. Every dog attack is one attack too many.

Figures released by the National Police Chief’s Council show that following the change in the law in England and Wales, the number of cases taken to court between June and December 2014 increased by 62 per cent and the number of successful prosecutions increased by 71 per cent.*

The Awareness Week is supported by the Communications Workers Union and a wide range of organisations and animal charities including Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, the National Police Chief’s Council, National Dog Wardens Association, Dogs Trust, PDSA and Blue Cross.

In a survey of Members of Parliament, Royal Mail heard from more than 40 per cent of MPs who responded who have also had personal experience of dog attacks.
A nationwide Dog Awareness Week postmark to be applied to letters posted from 29 June 2015.

Loads more at the Royal Mail press release...
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