Australia Post workers suffer 1277 ‘dog-related incidents’ in past six months

This cohort of iconic Aussie workers are suffering appalling dog attacks every day, with one postie opening up about his own horror pit bull incident.

WARNING: Graphic images

They travel into every nook and cranny of Australia delivering parcels and packages to homes and apartments, but the shadow of serious dog attacks continues to haunt “posties” as they go about their workday.

Joe Benforte, a postie at the busy Ingleburn facility in outer southwest Sydney, suffered two attacks in the space on just one week, including a vicious pit bull bite that put him in hospital with stitches.

“The major one that I had was only a few months ago,” he told NewsWire on Monday.

“On this one particular day I had pulled over to the side and there was pedestrian who had a dog on the leash.

“I just pulled to the side but as this young man got closer towards me, I noticed the dog’s behaviour, body language had changed.

“I didn’t react quick enough to get out of the buggy and what had happened as soon as that young fella got closer to me, the dog actually jumped inside the (buggy) and bit me on the right calf.”

An aggressive dog captured during a postie’s rounds. Picture: Australia Post

There was blood and pain from the attack, he said, and he suffered four puncture wounds and lacerations.

“He got me really good, he really had a good hold on.

“You’re in shock and two you don’t realise how easily the skin can be broken by a dog.

“He got me top and bottom. The longer teeth on the top and underneath, got me on the calf.”

A colleague helped to bandage him up and take him to hospital, where doctors stitched up his wounds and gave him a tetanus shot.

And then, just a week later, he suffered another attack, this time from a poodle.

“Only a week later, I got bitten by a poodle, who came charging out of the house when the customer went to sign for the parcel,” he said.

“The dog got through there and bit me on the shin.

Australia Post says more than 49 posties fell victim to dog attacks every week in the past six months. Picture: Australia Post

“You’ve got dangerous dogs by breed and then you’ve got little poodles behaving like a pit bull, because you’re on their territory.

“And really the dog owners have to take ownership of securing their pets.”

In just the past six months, Australia Post has recorded a whopping 1277 “dog-related incidents”, with more than 49 posties falling victim to an incident each week.

Some of the attacks, like Benforte’s pit bull incident, are gruesome and shocking.

One graphic photo of a dog attack from Kalgoorlie in WA shows a postie’s mangled, bloody leg.

Australia Post general manager of safety and wellbeing Rod Maule said posties suffered a range of injuries in dog attacks, including puncture wounds, lacerations and scratches.

“And many of our team members also suffer from long term psychological injuries following an attack,” he said.

Nationwide, Queensland is the worst state for dog incidents, according to Australia Post data.

A postie suffered this gruesome wound from a dog attack in Kalgoorlie, WA. Picture: Australia Post

The public company recorded 505 incidents across the state, with Darra, Stafford and Toowoomba having the highest number of incidents.

NSW follows Queensland with 367 incidents, with Lidcombe, Alexandria and Ingleburn the worst offenders.

Western Australia is in third position, with 152 incidents, followed by Victoria with 114, South Australia with 90, the Northern Territory with 24, Tasmania with 22 and the ACT with three.

Mr Maule is calling on local councils to implement stronger measures to prevent dog attacks, including through increased monitoring and enforcement of animal management laws.

“Dog attacks remain one of the highest safety concerns for our people,” he said.

Posties suffer physical and psychological injuries from dog attacks, Australia Post has warned. Picture: Australia Post

“As we head into our peak season and delivery volumes increase, there is a serious concern for the physical and mental wellbeing of our posties, particularly around dogs.

“Aggressive or dangerous dogs are reported to council and local rangers; however, too often we see risks are not properly mitigated.

“This often leads to multiple instances of the same dog repeating aggressive behaviour, which can result in a severe attack on our postie.

“As the holiday season approaches, dog owners need to be mindful that all visitors, including posties, should have safe access to the front door without being stopped by a dog.

“Dog ownership comes with responsibilities and we need council support to effectively enforce laws and regulations to ensure the safety of our people.”

Originally published as Australia Post workers suffer 1277 ‘dog-related incidents’ in past six months