Posties want to keep their fingers!

POSTIES are appealing to dog owners in Yeovil and South Somerset during Dog Awareness Week to help keep animals under control when they deliver the mail.

Over 250 postmen and women were attacked across the South West by dogs from April 2012 to April 2013 and Royal Mail are committed working with customers to drive this number down.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We are working alongside the Communication Workers Union (CWU) with support from a wide range of organisations and animal charities including Dogs Trust, DEFRA, Blue Cross, Wood Green, the animal charity and the Association of Dog Wardens during Dog Awareness Week.”

Dog attacks are a significant hazard, faced by postmen and women on a daily basis. The number of attacks rises during the school holidays and in the summer months when parents and children are at home and dogs are sometimes allowed unsupervised in the garden or out onto the streets without restraints.

Since April 2011, there have been over 5,500 attacks on Royal Mail postmen and women across the UK, some leading to a permanent disabling injury. Attacks have resulted in the loss of 4,100 working days due to injuries.

The spokesman added: “While the number of attacks has fallen by 24 per cent nationally since 2011, it still remains unacceptably high and we are committed to driving this down further. Every dog attack on one of our postmen or women is one dog attack too many.”

During Dog Awareness Week there will be a targeted awareness campaign to help postmen and women reduce the risk of injury.

Royal Mail has issued more than 90,000 posting pegs to staff; these devices helps postmen and women put letters through the letter box whilst protecting their fingers.

In partnership with Dogs Trust, Royal Mail are asking customers in the South West to keep their pets under control and are issuing tips in an attempt to reduce the number of dog attacks.

 Lynn Barber, head of training and behaviour at Dogs Trust, said: “We fully support the Royal Mail’s Dog Awareness week and hope that it raises awareness amongst dog owners about taking that little bit of extra time to train and help their dog for when the postman knocks on the door. Often the reaction of the dog is misconceived as plain aggression rather than the reality which is fear that manifests itself as aggression.

“There are some easy tips on how to avoid drama when the postman arrives; even taking your dog out for a walk during the time that you know the post will be delivered. Always remain calm with your dog and use positive methods to get him used to the postman arriving. All of our top tips for helping your dog get over this fear, and indeed avoid it developing in the first place, are here www.royalmailgroup.com/dogs.”

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