04-05-2023
There were an alarming 1,885 incidents involving dogs and Posties between July 2022 and March 2023, already surpassing the 1,587 recorded during the full 2021/22 financial year. Australia Post has attributed some of this increase to the over a million additional dogs* (a fifth of all pet dogs) brought into Australian households between 2019-2021, including during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New South Wales saw the largest number of incidents at 650 in just nine months, already nearly 28 per cent higher than the full year results the year prior. Queensland had 555 incidents (up 15 per cent), followed by Western Australia with 329 (up 23 per cent). Victoria and Tasmania had a combined 218 dog-related incidents (up 5 per cent), followed by South Australia and the Northern Territory with 133 collectively (up 4 per cent).
Australia Post data identified the following areas as having the highest number of dog related incidents:
New South Wales - the Nepean, New England and Hunter regions in addition to Alexandria, Wollongong and St Leonards;
Queensland - Darra, Bundamba and Toowoomba; and
Western Australia - Palmyra, Geraldton and Rockingham.
Australia Post Executive General Manager People and Culture, Susan Davies urged residents to safely secure their dog, either in the home or in the back garden, to protect not just Posties but also the broader community.
"Unfortunately, we continue to see an increase in the number of incidents involving dogs and our Posties. Dogs off-leash or escaping their yard and chasing down our Posties, often along busy major roads, are of particular concern given the safety implications not only for our delivery personnel and the dog, but also those in the community.
"We're seeing increased instances of our Posties sustaining injuries by either falling off their vehicles while trying to avoid unrestrained dogs, or getting physically attacked by dogs jumping up and biting them. We want our team to be able to safely deliver to all Australians, so urge dog owners to please secure their dogs in the backyard or indoors" Ms Davies said.
Recognising that it is not the only organisation trying to curb dog attacks, Australia Post has recently established a broader ‘Cross Industry Dog Safety Taskforce’. Working together with other organisations who deliver to, or have a need to service, homes; the taskforce will work to share insights on how to prevent and avoid dog attacks.
"We're really excited about the collaborative nature of this taskforce and hope to be able to not only share our own insights into managing dog safety but also learn from others across various service industries. We all have the same goal of protecting our team members, so it will be incredibly valuable to share our collective knowledge as we work to decrease the number of incidents,” added Ms Davies.
Some of the organisations contributing to the Cross Industry Dog Safety Taskforce are from supermarkets, telecommunications and logistics.
Source: Australia Post