Postie’s plea: Shocking footage shows Toowoomba postie’s close call with dog

Toowoomba posties are issuing a plea to pet owners to take the proper precautions after a series of encounters with dogs have left them injured or shaken. Watch the alarming footage here.

Fear is something no one deserves to experience in the workplace, but with posties facing more dog attacks in Toowoomba than anywhere else in Australia, it’s sadly become an all too familiar feeling.

Matt Gaske has been working as a postie in Toowoomba for less than two years and otherwise loves his job, but several close calls with dogs have left him worse for wear.

On two separate occasions this month, the postman has found himself in a precarious situation with the same German Shepherd, with the most recent incident occurring on May 17, which he managed to capture on camera.

Australia Post Toowoomba postie Matt Gaske recently had a narrow escape after a large dog jumped a fence to get to him, while he was delivering mail. Now he’s issued a desperate plea to the region. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“The first time I saw him coming I had just enough time to hop on my bike and take off down the road – he chased me for a bit, but eventually gave up,” Mr Gaske said.

“This time the dog jumped the fence and made a beeline for me – I had 1.5 seconds to react, so I just put the bike down between us and luckily the owner was there to call him back because I don’t know how it could have ended for me otherwise.”

Already feeling shaken after the most recent encounter, it was just the next day Mr Gaske was chased by two different dogs who had escaped from their yards.

Fortunately, he was physically unharmed during these incidents, but these are just some of the many encounters the region’s Australia Post workers are facing every day.

At least 50 dog-related incidents have been reported to Australia Post by Toowoomba employees this financial year, making the region’s number the highest in the entire country.

While many posties manage to get away, some have resulted in serious injuries and hospitalisations.

Delivery manager Susan Mason said it had also taken a mental toll on employees.

She said while Australia Post delivered various safety and training exercises for staff, the sporadic nature and speed of animals made it a challenge to prepare for.

“We wouldn’t have a single week go by without some sort of attack in Toowoomba – I would say about two to three incidents a week and it doesn’t matter about size because we’ve had incidents involving small, fluffy dogs too,” Ms Mason said.

“All of us love animals and have our own dogs, so we aren’t anti-dogs at all, but our posties are just doing their jobs and deserve to walk out the way they walked in.”

Australia Post postie Matt Gaske and Australia Post delivery manager Susan Mason talk while exchanging a hazard card used to report problematic addresses between posties. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Ms Mason said it wasn’t just about protecting Australia Post staff, but people’s pets too and the general public too.

Another Toowoomba postie was left traumatised and injured when a dog who had left its yard ran out in front of his motorbike on the road.

“They collided at 60km – our postie went down and the dog barrelled across the road, all because it wasn’t properly enclosed in its yard,” Ms Mason said.

“If a dog is loose and it’s a kid walking past or anyone else, it could end up really bad.”

Staff have noticed an increase in attacks across the region since Covid-19, with Ms Mason under the belief that more people were adopting pets during isolation.

She said it was important for pet owners to ensure their animals were secured and fences were heightened to ensure dogs were unable to escape.

Australia Post delivery manager Susan Mason places a hazard card used to report problematic addresses between posties. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The delivery manager said with parcels now being delivered to the front door of recipients to avoid theft and missing items, residents needed to ensure their dogs were secured before opening the door.

Australia Post considers an attack to be a dog escaping its yard, chasing a postie or causing injury.

All attacks are reported to the Toowoomba Regional Council and a hazard card will be marked on all future deliveries made to the address.

Deliveries may also be delayed to the resident and their neighbours until Australia Post can identify the home as safe for its employees.

It comes just weeks after alarming dog attack statistics in the region were revealed.