Dog owners urged to look after their postie!

Thursday 12 July 2018

You might think the sight of a postman being chased by a yapping dog is one for the cartoons...but Jersey Post has spoken out on what it describes as “a very real, and serious problem” for its posties, with seven cases being reported already this year, an average of one a month.

It follows the news that 14,500 dog attacks have been inflicted on Royal Mail postal workers in the UK over the last five years.

The number of incidents locally may seem small in comparison to this figure, but a spokesperson for Jersey Post has said that the injuries sustained from dog attacks can have serious consequences.

“We have had a number of incidents in recent years that have required hospitalisation and a period of absence from work. On one occasion a number of years ago a postal worker needed to be sent to the UK for treatment, as he had previously had his spleen removed and, following a dog bite, his immune system couldn't cope with the infection.” 

Pictured: Jersey Post say that dog attacks pose a "very real and serious problem" for postal workers on the job in the island.

Jersey Post have taken measures to mitigate the risk of dog attacks on their staff: “In order to minimise risk of future incidents, we use warning cards on our delivery frames so that staff are aware of any "dangerous" dogs and our advice to our staff is never to take a risk. If any delivery officer is unsure of a situation regarding delivery and a dog at a property, we ask that they do not attempt delivery, instead, bringing the mail back with them at the end of their round, and we will then contact the customer." 

The local postal delivery service has urged dog-owners to be vigilant of how their dog behaves around their staff: “The majority of dog attacks happen at the front door, or in the garden. As online shopping continues to increase, so do the number of deliveries and therefore the potential for an attack.

"We would ask that all dog owners continue to be aware of how their dog behaves around delivery officers and if relevant, that they put the necessary precautions in place to ensure that their dog is kept at a safe distance when any delivery is attempted.”