Queensland named as worst state for dog attacks as Australia Post arms its posties with citronella spray

Data has revealed that Toowoomba is one of the state’s hotspots for dog attacks on posties, and now Australia Post is fighting back to protect its workers.

Queensland remains the worst state for dog attacks on postie's, with Australia Post recording more than 300 incidents in the past six months. Photo: Supplied

The days of posties putting up with aggressive dogs will soon be over as Australia Post arms its frontline workers with a deterrent.

It comes after the national postal service revealed Queensland remains the worst state for dog incidents, with Toowoomba named among the hotspots.

More than 300 incidents have been reported across the state just in the past six months, with a total of 1150 attacks nationwide in the same period.

As of the end of July, every postie will be armed with citronella spray as a last resort measure to prevent an imminent attack.

Australia Post estimates more than 44 posties are attacked by aggressive dogs each week, with an average of nine a day.

The water-based spray is non harmful and has been introduced as a last resort.

Australia Post is now equipping its postie's with a citronella spray to deter aggressive dogs after a spate of serious attacks across Queensland. Photo: Aus Post

It’s understood the postal service has completed an extensive two-phase trial in some of the worst areas, finding it to have an efficiency of 80 per cent in causing dogs to retreat.

Australia Post general manager of safety Russell Munro said the postal service is constantly looking for ways to better protect frontline team members.

“The safety of our team members is a core value at Australia Post. Despite public awareness efforts

and rigorous safety protocols, we continue to see alarming rates of dog-related incidents,” Mr Munro said in a statement.

“The best way to avoid dog attacks is to ensure your dog is safely secured behind a locked door or gate when

your postie arrives with your parcel.”

There are currently 35,000 active dog related hazards flagged with incidents ranging from physical and attempted attacks to chasing and harassing, an increase of 20 per cent since November last year.

The program is set to extend to parcel delivery drivers, and all team members will be trained on how to use the spray safely and only as a last resort.

Originally published as Queensland named as worst state for dog attacks as Australia Post arms its posties with citronella spray