Shannon Says Postmen Must Be Protected From Animal Attacks

Jim Shannon, MP for Strangford, has raised awareness of the dog attacks on Royal Mail delivery staff.

Mr Shannon has attended events at Westminster to highlight the issue. He said: “Here in the Ards area there have been thirty dog attacks on postmen in the last twelve months and each case has included the assistance of the Council Dog Warden with customer intervention in each case.

“In the most serious cases house visits have to be conducted. In the Ards there has been 1220 dog hazards identified in the delivery area. xa0Other hazards have been identified which include geese… xa0and I must confess that I can recall a gaggled goose chasing me as a boy in Ballywalter and he could run!

“Also this includes and aggressive cat that claws the post and in turn the hands and fingers or the postmen and women proves to be a problem along with a donkey that cases the postman and tries to bite his arm. Sometimes the level of attack has resulted in the introduction of External Delivery Boxes at delivery points by customers at high risk locations.

“These incidents are not a laughing matter. Last year 3, 311 post men and women were attacked by dogs across the UK with 186 injuries severe enough to require time off work. Furthermore, 32% of dog attacks take place in June, July, and August each year. Sometimes a dog can look friendly but that is not always the case and in other cases, a dog will bark loudly but will not bite.

“Health and safety must be a priority, and I hope that this dog awareness campaign will make people think differently and ensure that their animals are not in a position to attack post men and women. In the Ards area it is a serious problem but steps can be taken by all of us to prevent it.”