Royal Mail postie calls out aggressive dog owners as work becomes miserable

A Royal Mail worker has made a heartfelt appeal to dog owners after experiencing a surge in encounters with untrained or overexcited pets while on the job. In a candid post on social media, she expressed her growing anxiety about being injured by a loose dog – and it’s affecting her enjoyment of her work.

She shared on Reddit: “I don’t know if I’ve just had a run of bad luck but [the number of] people who are rubbish at controlling their dogs seem to be on the rise on my walk. Every day I’m having to ask more people to put their dog away before answering the door, even had a customer call me a weirdo today for saying something about it.

“It’s seriously affecting my ability to enjoy the job as of late, I feel on edge for a lot of my shift.” According to Royal Mail, there were more than 2,200 reported attacks on postal workers by pets in the past year, a 15% increase from the previous 12 months, ending on 31 March 2024. The organisation stated: “The figure equates to an average of 42 attacks every week across the UK, with some leading to permanent and disabling injuries.”

The areas with the highest risk of dog attacks were the PO (Portsmouth) and BT (Belfast) postcode areas, with 62 incidents each, followed by the BS (Bristol) and BN (Brighton) postcode areas, which tied with 48 attacks. The PL (Plymouth) postcode area ranked third, with 44 reported incidents, reports the Express.

An alarming 389 postal workers suffered injuries through letterboxes last year, representing a staggering 18% of all attacks on them. This concerning statistic follows a 2020 High Court ruling which made it clear that dog owners—or anyone in charge of a dog—can be prosecuted if their pets have unobstructed access to the letterbox and injure any delivery operative, regardless of whether the owner is present or not.

Responding to a fellow postal worker’s post, one commented: “Walk away, mark their mail/packets, unsafe dog. And customers, there is no need to [apologise] for making me wait while you shut the dog in the kitchen behind a closed door. It’s appreciated and, thank you.”

Meanwhile, another person shared their experience: “I can understand that. I had a large dog, but he was not able to access the hallway or front door (bad at stairs). He did bark at the front window though. I got a warning letter from RM about keeping my dog under control as they would stop delivering. My dog had been deceased for eight months.”

A third person suggested an informative approach: “A little sticker attached to one of the offending property owners letters letting them know about this, might encourage them to make it safer for their postie. I wasn’t actually aware of the post office policy, but I think it’s a good one.”

Adding to the discussion, another contributor recalled their own encounter: “Ive been bitten once, about five or six years ago, on the ankle. It was sore. I’m with you, there definitely seems to be a lot more dogs now than there was when I first started 10 years ago.

“You will obviously know the company policy on loose dogs on a property but I use my own initiative. Most are fine but it’s the owners who do my head in. The ones that open the door holding the dog back with a leg or have it by the collar whilst struggling with one hand on the door.

“I had a dog for 17 years. I understand they can be defensive and territorial but why not do what I did when I had a dog and someone was at the door. Put it in the living room or the kitchen and shut the door. Property owners need to be aware that its the policy of Royal Mail to see that any dog that bites is put to sleep and the owners prosecuted. Over 1000 posties and delivery persons are bitten each year.”