One Bristol postal worker has described her horror at getting bitten by a dog as Royal Mail says there have been more than 2,000 dog attacks on its staff in the past year.
While this is a decrease, the company says it's unacceptably high.
Katy Davies was badly bitten on her round in Bristol in January and says it's left her a shell of her former self.
She says she had never had any incidents with dogs before the ordeal and there had not been "any signs" something like this could happen to her.
"As I turned the corner, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It was very quick and very large, and before I knew it, I felt extreme impact and pain in my lower right leg, and I was on the floor screaming.
"It felt like I had been hit by a mini bus."
She says she was "lucky" the dog latched onto her, but she was still left with five "incredibly painful" puncture bites.
"The damage left from even a clean bite was immense. I didn't know how much worse it was going to get - both physically and mentally".
Ms Davies decides feeling even more scared when she learned from the doctors that her wound wasn't healing well at first.
"My anxiety and depression really kicked in," she says, adding that it took three months to get back to a good range of mobility.
She stills feels "not quite there" even six months after as one of the bites was close to a tendon.
"I'm going to have to life with this tendon damage, and my mobility around it, forever."
Ms Davies says she never expected the mental strain that would come from it, and she became a "shell of [her] former self" following the attack.
Meanwhile, Bristol City Council candidate Danica Priest has told of her horror after she had part of her finger bitten off for a dog while delivering campaign leaflets during the local election.
"I put one of my leaflets through the door and I took my hand out and saw blood, and knew something was wrong and I went into shock".
She called 999 after realising part of her finger had been bitten off.
"I'd never had any issues before".
The dog had no known history of violence or biting anyone, Ms Priest added.
The local campaigner had to have reconstructive surgery on her finger and remove part of the bone.
Lizz Lloyd, Group Director for Health and Safety at the Royal Mail, says the company have seen "horrendous attacks" over the years, including facial injuries.
"All of this is preventable if we work together," she says, recommending owners consider dog gates.
"It's about thinking about your animal's triggers and how you can help it".