Australia Post urges dog owners to take responsibility with 55 Posties each week falling victim to dog incidents
Australia Post is urging dog owners to properly secure their dogs amidst serious safety concerns for Posties, with new data revealing that over the past six months more than 55 Posties a week have fallen victim to dog-related incidents, amounting to an alarming 11 incidents per day1.
Despite Australia Post's pleas for more action from dog owners, over 1,420 dog-related incidents have occurred in Australia in the past six months. While no single dog breed is more likely to attack than another, Australia Post is increasingly seeing it's the smaller dogs that show aggressive behaviour.
In a bid to help identify where Posties are most at risk, Australia Post data has found that half of all incidents are taking place on customer property, with 1 in 3 occurring at the customer's front door.
Shockingly, 34% of cases happened on the street. Dogs with their owner account for 8% of those incidents, and the remaining 26% involved a dog who escaped a property to attack a Postie or was roaming the street.
Of particular concern are dog bites during letter deliveries, with 15% of incidents occurring when a Postie places mail in letterboxes.
Australia Post data reveals Queensland continues to record the highest number of incidents in each state, followed by New South Wales and Western Australia. The number of dog incidents in each state and territory as well as the worst offending areas are:
- Queensland (466) - Stafford, Darra, and Bundamba
- New South Wales (408) - Ingleburn, Tamworth and Lidcombe
- Western Australia (215) - Rockingham, Bunbury and Gwelup
- Victoria (166) - Healesville, Nunawading and Ferntree Gully
- South Australia (114) - Glynde, Edinburgh North and Salisbury South
- Northern Territory (23) - Winnellie, Palmerston and Katherine
- Tasmania (16) - Eastern Shore Hobart and Launceston
- Australian Capital Territory (15) - Fyshwick, Mitchell and Tuggeranong
Australia Post General Manager of Safety and Wellbeing, Rod Maule, emphasised the importance of ensuring Posties feel safe doing their job.
"Australia Post is calling on dog owners to take responsibility for their pets. Customers must understand that for many Posties, it can be stressful or triggering knowing that your delivery round may involve a dog that shows aggressive behaviour. Our team members just want to be able to deliver for our customers, without being attacked, harassed, or chased by dogs.
"Regardless of the breed or temperament of your dog, we implore owners to secure their dog safely in a back garden, on a leash, or in another room when expecting parcel deliveries or mail, whether or not you are at home. If you are unable to restrain your dog securely, we suggest using our Parcel Lockers where possible," he said.
Posties will not make a delivery if it is unsafe for them to do so and will cease deliveries to a customer's home until the danger is fixed. Australia Post also reports dog-related incidents to relevant local councils to ensure enforcement is actioned.
AUSTRALIA POST'S TIPS TO PROTECT POSTIES:
- Always keep front gates securely closed.
- Where possible, secure dogs in the back garden (rather than the front) and keep any side gates securely closed.
- If you are expecting a delivery, be careful when opening your front door, ensuring your dog doesn't run out from behind you. Securing them in another room is a great way to prevent this.
- If properly securing your dog is not possible, consider using our Parcel Lockers.
ENDS
[1] Australia Post, Dog Safety data, 1 July 2023 to 28 May 2024
Media contact:
Morgan Griffin, Public Relations Advisor
M: 0459 703 383
