Animals
Significant increase in dog attacks on postmen in the UK
Not always man’s best friend: Several “posties”, as the red-clad postmen are called in Great Britain, were recently seriously injured by dogs. photo
© Royal Mail/PA Media/dpa
Dog attacks on postmen and women have increased in Britain – there are cases of serious injuries. The Royal Mail is therefore appealing to all dog owners.
Several “posties”, as the red-clad postmen are called in Great Britain, were seriously injured. The hardest hit was a woman who had to have an operation after an attack and was out for months. The animal was euthanized. Dog owners must take reasonable steps to ensure their pets are not a danger, Royal Mail has said.
The area around the southeastern English city of Tunbridge Wells had the most, with 65 attacks, followed by the northern Irish capital of Belfast and Sheffield in northern England, with 56 and 50 attacks respectively. Almost half of the reported incidents happened at the front door and just over a quarter in the garden or driveway. In about a fifth, postmen were attacked through the mailbox. In total, “Posties” were absent for 3014 days because of dog attacks.