Toowoomba named Qld's third worst hotspot for postie dog attacks
New data has revealed that postal workers face nine dog attacks daily across Australia as Toowoomba ranks among Queensland's most dangerous delivery locations. See the shocking footage here.
No person should feel inclined to protect themselves while on the job, but for our nation’s posties – delivering goods has never been more dangerous.
Australia Post has revealed alarming data, marking Toowoomba as the third worst hotspot in Queensland for dog attacks with more than 300 incidents reported in the past six months.
As the festive season rolls around the corner, Australia Post is urging pet owners to secure their dogs as deliveries reach high demand.
The data estimates posties are falling victim to around nine dog incidents per day, with one in three incidents occurring on a customer’s property.
Earlier in the year Australia Post introduced citronella spray as a last line of defence safety measure for posties, reporting it has been effective in 90 per cent of cases.
Australia Post general manager of safety Russell Munro said there are simple actions from dog owners that can make a critical difference during the busiest delivery period of the year.
“Our posties want to be able to deliver for our customers without fear of being attacked or chased by a dog. Regardless of breed or temperament, we urge all owners to keep their dogs safely contained when expecting deliveries,” Mr Munro said.
“While the rollout of citronella spray has helped in many situations, we’re still seeing far too many cases of aggressive dog behaviour and unfortunately can’t prevent all incidents from occurring.
“We’ve seen the number of cases increase over the past six months, which shows there’s still more work to be done to keep our posties safe.
“If you’re expecting a parcel delivery, our app makes it easy to stay informed with up-to-date delivery times and now displays a timely reminder to secure your dog in another room or behind a gate.”
Australia Post will cease deliveries to a property or street if a postie is threatened or injured by an aggressive dog.
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Originally published as Toowoomba named Qld's third worst hotspot for postie dog attacks
