Royal Mail in plea to dog owners after postal workers attacked

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DOG owners are being urged to keep their animals under control after figures reveal 11 postmen and women in Dorset have been attacked in the last year.

The number of attacks in the county is the same as the previous year – bucking a national trend of decreasing dog attacks.

The Royal Mail’s sixth annual Dog Awareness Week begins today (MON) and aims to encourage responsible dog ownership and ensure the safety of postal workers.

From April 2017 to April 2018 there were 2,275 dog attacks on postmen and women in the UK, a decrease of eight per cent compared to the previous year.


But the service says every attack is one too many, and that some incidents cause permanent injuries.

The Royal Mail has teamed up with Dogs Trust to offer owners advice on preventing their dogs attacking postal workers. While most dogs are not dangerous, even the most placid animal can be prone to attack if it feels its territory is being threatened.

A special Dog Awareness Week postmark will be applied to all stamped items from today to Saturday.

Dr Shaun Davis, Royal Mail Group global director of safety, health, wellbeing and sustainability said: “I am pleased that the overall dog attacks numbers continue to fall, but I am still very concerned that in some postcodes attacks are on the increase. I am appealing to dog owners to think twice when the postman calls. Dog attacks have a devastating effect on our people and on our customers and we hope we can make a further impact in these areas.

“One attack is still one attack too many. Our research continues to show that attacks happen most often in the summer, so we are continuing our campaign to appeal to customers to help us cut attacks across the UK.

“But people should remember that 82 per cent of attacks happen at the front door or in the garden so this is not just a Royal Mail issue, many other delivery, and utility companies and local authorities face the same problem.”

Advice includes:


Keeping dogs away from the letterbox

Not opening the front door with your dog not under close control

Not allowing dogs to roam around the garden