Lock up your dogs, say posties

July 13, 2009

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ROYAL Mail is urging owners to secure their dogs after a rise in attacks on postmen and women.

Scores of postal workers are attacked each year while on their rounds in Greater Manchester, particularly during the summer when dogs are let loose in gardens.

In Bolton alone, the average is three animal attacks every month in the summer.

The firm has introduced dog awareness days for its workers, training staff how to deal with animals they encounter while making deliveries to homes and businesses.

It is also appealing to owners to secure their pets.

Ian Lumley, delivery manager, said: "Not all dogs are dangerous, but even the most placid animal can attack if it feels its territory is being threatened.

"Increasingly we have to suspend our deliveries because dogs are on the loose and it is just not safe for our postmen and women."

After an attack or near miss, the householder now receives a letter from Royal Mail telling them to keep their animals under control or risk losing their doorstep delivery service.

In more serious cases, the local dog warden or police are informed.

Around 6,000 postal workers are attacked by animals in Britain each year. Many incidents are near misses or nips but some result in serious injury. Last year, Cambridge postie Keith Davies need a six-hour operation to save his life after his arm was 'nearly ripped off' by two rottweilers.

The Communications Workers Union (CWU), Unison, the RSPCA, the Dogs Trust and police are calling for a change in the Dangerous Dogs Act. They want it to also apply to private property as posties that currently get injured are unable to prosecute the owners or get compensation. Around 70 per cent of the 6,000 attacks are on private property.

District nurses, social workers and people from other professions who make house calls are also attacked.

Mr Lumley said: "Many attacks happen when the dog snatches mail from the letterbox as it is being posted or when animals push past people answering the door to sign for a parcel.

"Residents could help reduce the number of attacks by keeping dogs indoors and away from the letterbox at about the time the postman or woman calls."

The Royal Mail also advises dog owners to consider installing a letter cage or a secure mailbox on the edge of the property.

Posties in Bolton and Wigan will be the first to receive additional training, followed by Manchester and other postcodes in Greater Manchester later this year.

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Angie33 , Manchester (13/07/2009 at 14:43)

Good for them.At last someone is talking about this problem.They must be nervous wrecks.

Royce, Manchester (13/07/2009 at 15:02)

This is exactly why I don't like dogs!

annon (13/07/2009 at 16:44)

dog owners with aggressive dogs which prove to be aproblem should be made to pick up their own post from the sorting office if they don't keep their dogs secure.

JohnB, Manchester (13/07/2009 at 17:41)

I fully support this. No one should have to work in such conditions.

Angry Mike, Middleton (13/07/2009 at 17:55)

Andanotherthing, Mcr (13/07/2009 at 18:07)

Its a risk of their job. Our postie today was actually moaning about two of my neighbours dogs barking at him through the window, get a grip pal, they bark at everyone. Dogs are pack animals and are simply protecting there family. Posties are seen as a threat pure and simple.
Angry Mike, Middleton

And my neighbours Staff burst through the window to maul our postie, fortunately it's owner cut his bare feet getting the dog under control, and then got rid of it.

Theowolfe (13/07/2009 at 18:12)

In my experience most dog owners are inconsiderate individuals who believe their mutt is the bee's knees, so I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for them to control their animals.

I have never met a dog owner who's dog barks incessantly annoying the neighbours, but yet these barking dogs are all over the place.

In our neighbourhood there is a dog barking at most times of the day. There are two in particular that can be heard barking at most times of the day.

If the idiot owners of these fleabags can't stop their pride and joys barking I can't see them stopping them attacking visitors to the door.

Maynard Kitchener Lampwick Manchester , (13/07/2009 at 18:58)

Give Dog Owners the Ultimation, If the owner lets the dog out and the postie asks them to keep it, and they don't keep it, then the dog owner should be told go and pick your Mail up from the Sorting office in future, its alright the owner saying he/she won't bite, the dog has a mind of its own, why people want dogs this day and age is beyond me, some people cant feed themselfs, let alone a dog.

Angry Mike, Middleton (13/07/2009 at 19:24)

andanotherthing - surely your example could have been anybody going to your neighbours house,double glazing salesman, gas and electric, or billy the burglar. not great but then thats a bad dog owner. I aint saying they should get bitten purely that is a risk of anybody who goes door to door.

Don't blame the dog blame the owner.

Pippa, Manchester (14/07/2009 at 08:46)

I totally agree that our postal workers shouldn't be at risk. However, to ask someone to make sure that their animal is inside the house between the hours of 6am and 2pm (could be an even wider time range as I haven't seen a postie delivering round here before 9am for years and occasionally seem them after 3pm!)isn't ideal. My dog was fine with postmen and newspaper deliveries until one young lad delivering papers thought it was fun to torment her as he went past. Now she barks like crazy every time anyone with a delivery bag goes past - according to some of your posters she should be put to sleep. I wouldn't go as far as guarantee that she wouldn't bite - I'm not that stupid, she is an animal with animal instincts, and similarly even though she is fantastic with kids, I would never leave her unsupervised with a child - but I would say it would be unlikely. We have an external post box (mainly to stop mail being shredded)but are constantly amazed at the number of people who can hear/see the dog and still insist on putting leaflets through the letter box - and then pushing it through with their fingers - barmy ! Luckily she is more interested in shredding the paper that has landed than the fingers that are invading her territory. I do agree with the proposal that if an dog has bitten a postman, than all mail should henceforth be colleted from the local sorting office or redirected to a neighbours.

dessie, manchester (14/07/2009 at 11:20)

if a dog bites a postie sue the owners of the dog, they wont do it again!!!!

Superbean 123 (14/07/2009 at 12:50)

...what happened to the old postboxes at the gate?

JTC Formerley JimC (14/07/2009 at 13:08)

Give the posties Tazers, that will sort the dogs out.

PW, Manchester (14/07/2009 at 13:25)

I know someone who was attacked by a neighbour's Alsatian dog every morning as he drove off on his motorbike, even tearing his all-in-one suit one day. The neighbours weren't interested. One morning, he 'happened' to have a starting pistol in his hand, and it went off as the dog once more sank its teeth into his leg. Do you know that dog wouldn't come near him again?

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