- Around 14,500 dog attacks have taken place on postmen and woman over the last five years , with over 2,400 in the last year alone
- Royal Mail’s fifth annual Dog Awareness Week launches today and runs from the 3 to 8 July 2017. It aims to raise awareness of the issue of dog attacks and encourage responsible dog ownership
- The number of dog attacks on postmen and women has fallen by 7% on the previous year to over 2,471. This reduction in attacks is encouraging but it is still too high. Every dog attack is one attack too many
- On average there are still seven attacks take place each day across the UK, some leading to a permanent and disabling injury
- In the last year, 71% of attacks on postal workers happened at the front door or in the front garden
- Postmen and women need to be able to deliver the service they provide in communities across the UK without the risk of injury
- The number of dog attacks on postmen and women increases during summer holidays, when children and parents are at home and dogs are more likely to be out in the garden
- TV presenter and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Ambassador Paul O’Grady is also lending his support to the campaign
- Royal Mail’s Dog Awareness Week is supported by the Communications Workers Union and a wide range of organisations and animal charities including Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Dogs Trust, the National Police Chief’s Council and the National Dog Wardens Association
- A special Dog Awareness Week postmark will be applied to all stamped items from Monday 3July 2017 to Saturday 8 July 2017
Royal Mail has revealed that over the last five years there have been around 14,500 dog attacks on postmen and woman across the UK, with over 2,470 in the last year alone.
The fifth annual Dog Awareness Week launched today and runs from 3 to 8 July 2017. The week aims to raise awareness of the issue of dog attacks on postmen and women and encourage responsible dog ownership.
The number of dog attacks on postmen and women has fallen by 7% on the previous year to 2,471. This reduction in attacks is encouraging but it is still too high. Every dog attack is one attack too many. On average there is still as many as seven attacks take place each day, some leading to a permanent and disabling injury.
Royal Mail knows that most dogs are not inherently dangerous, however, even the most placid animal can be prone to attack if it feels its territory is being threatened. Royal Mail’s first priority as an employer is to ensure the welfare and safety of our people who provide a valuable service to our customers across the length and breadth of the UK and in every community.
Royal Mail’s research also shows that the number of attacks rises during the school holidays and in the summer months when parents and children are at home.
In the last year, 71% of dog attacks on postal workers have happened at the front door or in the front garden. At these times, dogs are more likely to be unsupervised in the garden or the dog is not kept under control when the postman or woman knocks on the door.
Royal Mail’s Dog Awareness Week is supported by the Communications Workers Union and a wide range of organisations and animal charities including Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Dogs Trust, PDSA, Blue Cross, the National Police Chief’s Council and the National Dog Wardens Association.
TV presenter and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Ambassador, Paul O’Grady is backing the campaign again and said: “Many people find it endearing when their dogs are protective of their owners and homes, but this can quickly escalate, no matter what breed or size of dog, resulting in dog bite incidents. You may feel your dog is the softest in the world but other people can be intimidated by their behaviour and this isn’t fair. No one should feel unsafe while doing their job, including postmen. As owners it’s our responsibility to train our pets to behave appropriately around strangers. Encourage good behaviour and spend time getting your pets familiar with people visiting the house.”
Dr Shaun Davis, Royal Mail Group Global Director of Safety, Health, Wellbeing & Sustainability added: “There have been around 14,500 attacks on our postman and woman over the last five years, with over 2,400 this year alone. Some of these attacks have led to extremely serious and life changing injuries and this is unacceptable.
“While the number of dog attacks on postmen and women has fallen in the last year, the numbers are still far too high. Our postmen and women need to be able to deliver the service they provide to communities across the UK, without the risk of injury. This is why this campaign is so important. We need to keep raising awareness of this serious issue and ask all dog owners to keep their pets under control and be a responsible dog owner.”
Dogs Trust has been a supporter of the campaign for the last five years and Director of Canine Behaviour and Research Dr Rachel Casey said; “Teaching dogs how to settle in a home environment and not be worried by the arrival of the postman is such an important day-to-day skill, but one that is often overlooked. Teaching dogs to be relaxed when the post arrives makes a world of difference to yours and the postperson’s day. It also takes relatively little time to teach, especially when introduced early in life. Where dogs are reactive it is important to put in place simple safety measures, such as keeping them away from the door when the post arrives, in the short term.
“However, with a bit of work dogs can learn that postmen and women coming to the door is a normal occurrence and not something to be either worried or excited about – once this is established this daily event can pass them by.”
To help promote dog safety, a special Dog Awareness Week postmark will be applied to all stamped items from Monday 3July 2017 to Saturday 8 July 2017.
CWU National Health and Safety Officer Dave Joyce said ” Seven postal workers attacked by dogs every day of the year is unacceptable and the whole idea of Dog Awareness Week is to highlight the problem and the repercussions for dog owners and the victims, many of whom are seriously injured”.
“Over 70% of dog attacks on postmen and women occur on the garden path or at the doorstep of the dog’s owner home. It just needs owners to restrict their animals access to the front garden or to put their dog in another room before opening the door to collect a parcel or sign for an item.
“Customers are always pleased to see the postman or postwoman arrive as they’re eager to take delivery of their goods they’ve ordered and paid for on the internet but thousands of them unfortunately don’t give a second thought to the postal worker’s safety by putting the dog in a safe, secure place. The vast majority of our customers and their dogs aren’t a problem but irresponsible and reckless dog owners are.
“The new dog control laws now identify and penalises irresponsible dog owners and many are now facing prosecution and paying heavy court penalties and criminal records. So it’s in their best interest in more ways than one to make sure the dog doesn’t bite the postman. One owner was recently fined £8,800 after his dog injured a postwoman’s fingers as she put letters through the door – which is another problem postal workers face! The penalties can include losing their dogs, being banned from dog ownership, paying compensation and even a jail sentence.
“Dog owners need to fully understand that their actions usually are the cause of a dog being dangerous and simple precautions can prevent the pain for everyone concerned. No matter what breed of dog is involved, the dog can present a substantial danger to postal workers.”
A wide range of activities will be taking place during Dog Awareness Week including;
- Royal Mail postmen and women speak about their own experiences of dog attacks to colleagues and the public
- Dog Awareness posters will be in place in all Royal Mail enquiry office’s giving dog owners tips on how they can help
- Dog wardens will be visiting a number of Delivery Offices across the country giving dog safety talks to postmen and women
- Dogs Trust’s expert behaviourist Dr Rachel Casey is available to talk about dog behaviour to help people understand the mind of the dog
Please visit www.royalmail.com/dogawareness and www.royalmailgroup.com/dogs for hints and tips on dog safety.
