11 Royal Mail posties bitten by dogs every day

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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DOG owners are being urged to keep their pets under control after it emerged 11 postmen a day are being bitten on their rounds.

The walk between the letterbox and the gate is now fraught with danger for posties, with over 20,000 suffering bites in the last five years.

Dave Joyce, of the Communication Workers Union, said more should be done to train or tie up dogs while dangerous dog owners should be sued.

He said: “Dog attacks are a major concern for postal workers. Essentially, it all comes down to the owners.”

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed yesterday that 20,528 Royal Mail workers have been bitten since 2006.

Mr Joyce said: “The cost to Royal Mail in sick pay is the tip of the iceberg in terms of real costs which include NHS treatment, ongoing medication, prescription and counselling services and even plastic surgery and skin grafts.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Dog attacks are a hazard faced by our postmen and women every working day. Our aim is to prevent attacks and to train staff in techniques to keep them safe.”

[PhilthyPhil]

I honestly think that you need to put a zero on the end of those numbers to get an accurate reflection on the numbers. This is only the number of reported attacks and for each of these im sure loads go unreported. Personally I have only ever reported the more serious cases because its is so much hassle doing all the paperwork and managers can never be arsed. I will not be making this mistake in the future and ensure that all incidents get reported. We have been told not to enter any properties with loose dogs and not to knock for packets where we know there are dogs which may get out when the owner answers the door.