Australia Post confirms posties using citronella spray to defend against rising dog attacks

Australia Post boss Paul Graham has shared the new way posties are fending off the increasing rates of dog attacks while they make their rounds.

Posties have resorted to using canine citronella spray to ward off aggressive dogs, as the incidents of attacks rises, Australia Post boss Paul Graham says.

In the six months to November 2024, Australia Post reported 1277 dog-related incidents across the country, averaging to about 49 attacks a week, or 10 per day.

However, the trend in dog attacks has gotten “slightly worse,” Mr Graham told a senate estimates hearing on Tuesday, with Australia Post employing a number of measures to prevent the attacks.

“We have taken a number of actions to help address this one, we have deployed citronella spray which is targeted at dogs and seems to be working,” he said.

“We’ve tried many, many things.”

Australia Post boss Paul Graham said rates of dog attacks had gotten “slightly worse”. Picture: Supplied/ Australia Post

Delivery staff are equipped with hazard devices to log aggressive dog behaviour, with the government-owned enterprise also launching public prosecutions against dog owners.

The legal action has led to four successful prosecutions, Mr Graham told the committee.

“The individual postie has to take the prosecution because it’s they who have been injured under the Public Liability Act, but we obviously provide financial and legal support to do that,” he said.

“Then any settlement we reach goes directly to the postie.”

Australia Post chief executive Paul Graham said the canine citronella spray appeared to be working. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Speaking about the financial viability of Australia Post, Mr Graham said he expected the first half of the 2025 financial year to be “traditionally profitable” before the group runs a “large loss in the second half,” and said the future of Australia Post would be “challenging”.

“We are experiencing a generational change in how our customers use their local post office, compounded by the age and demographics of a licensing community,” he said.

“Planning foot traffic and reduction of over the counter transactions are all having an impact as our economy digitises, which will only accelerate.”

However, he vowed that Australia Post would continue its mail delivery services.

“As I have said before, letters will never return to profitability, but I can assure you that Australia Post will continue to deliver mail to every part of the country until the last letter is sent.”

Originally published as Australia Post confirms posties using citronella spray to defend against rising dog attacks