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Royal Mail said its priority ‘is to ensure the welfare and safety’ of its workers
A Royal Mail postman was caught on camera appearing to kick a puppy in the face on his rounds.
Footage from a door camera showed the postie kicking the pet just after delivering some letters.
Nikki Walker, who lives at the property with her one-year-old cockapoo Bella, was working from home at the time.
The 49-year-old said her dog heard the garden gate open and jumped out of a ground-floor window to the front of the house.
Soon after, Nikki heard a squeal from Bella.
She recalled how she questioned the postman but he denied kicking her pet.
He is also said to have told her to “do what the f*** she wants” after Nikki threatened to check her footage.
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When she checked the video, it showed the postman kicking the pooch in the face.
the video captures Bella running over to the postman before he turns and kicks the rescue pup in the face with his right boot.
Bella is sent backwards and runs off before Nikki comes to the door.
Nikki claimed the postman said he had to ‘put his leg up to stop Bella from jumping’ but she did not believe him.
She has since complained to Royal Mail and has been offered £100, along with a home visit from a staff member.
But she wants all correspondence in writing and so rejected the latter offer.
The postman has been removed from the round and will not deliver to Nikki’s address on her request – but Royal Mail have said two other posties have reported Bella growling at them.
The firm said their ‘first priority as an employer’ is to ‘ensure the welfare and safety’ of their staff.
Nikki said Bella is a ‘faithful, cuddle-loving’ puppy and has never bitten anyone.
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She posted the video to Facebook, with others calling the postie to be dismissed from the postal service.
Nikki said: “When I heard yelping I quickly ran outside the front door.
“When I asked what she’s yelping at he said he didn’t know.
“I asked if he’d kicked the dog and he said “no, I put my leg up to stop her from jumping”.
“That won’t be the case because he put his leg back and kicked.
“I knew he was lying to me. I told him I’d check the camera then he said “do what the f*** you want”.
“Bella ran into the house, curled and cowered on the sofa and that’s not like her.
“I knew something had happened. I sat next to her to watch the video and when I did I was absolutely fuming.
“She was wagging her tail. She wasn’t aggressive or barking.
“She’s a faithful puppy. She loves cuddles, attention and she’d sit on your knee for hours.
“If he’d have done that to my last dog he’d have killed her. My daughter watched the video and she was absolutely mortified.”
Nikki claims Royal Mail threatened not to deliver to her address unless she ensures Bella is kept away from staff.
Fencing required to maintain deliveries would cost around £80.
Nikki continued: “It’s as if my dog is dangerous. It’s really annoyed me.
“She’s not a Rottweiler or a big Alsatian and she’s never bitten anybody.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident involving one of our postmen and a dog in Leeds.
“Our first priority as an employer is to ensure the welfare and safety of our people who provide a valuable service to our customers.
“The vast majority of dog owners are very responsible and keep their pets under control.
“However, last year, there were over 2,200 dog attacks on postmen and women in the UK – some resulting in life-changing injuries.
“We continue to appeal to dog owners to secure their pets when the postie arrives to help reduce the number of attacks, particularly at the door and in the garden.”
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