Postal worker seriously injured by dog as Royal Mail issues warning about ‘unacceptably high’ attacks

Dog attacks on Royal Mail staff have seen a slight decrease over the past year, yet new figures reveal the number remains "unacceptably high".

The postal service reported 2,019 incidents of dogs attacking its workers, an 8 per cent reduction compared to the previous year.

Despite the fall, an average of 38 Royal Mail employees across the UK are still subjected to dog attacks each week, with some incidents resulting in permanent and disabling injuries.

Royal Mail has urged dog owners to recognise the serious impact these attacks have on postmen and postwomen, appealing for them to implement proper measures to ensure their pets do not pose a threat to delivery staff.

For the second consecutive year, the S postcode area, covering Sheffield, recorded the highest number of incidents with 61 attacks.

Doncaster (DN) and Guildford (GU) postcodes were joint second, each reporting 53 incidents, followed closely by Newcastle (NE) and Portsmouth (PO) with 50 attacks apiece.

Around half of attacks happened at the front door, a 4 per cent increase on last year.

Bristol postie Katy Davies sustained injuries following an attack by a dog she had previously known to be friendly (PA)

Royal Mail said the figures highlighted that the majority of incidents happen on private property, where postal workers have a legal right to access.

One in four incidents took place in a garden, drive or yard and there were 135 attacks in the street or road.

There were 324 injuries suffered as a result of attacks through a letterbox.

Dog attacks resulted in 3,442 days of absence in 2025/26 – with the longest period lasting over 300 days.

Katy Davies, who has been working as a postwoman in Bristol for around three years, suffered serious injuries in January 2026 when a dog attacked her while she was out delivering mail.

She had been on her usual delivery route when the dog approached her at speed from behind as she turned a corner into a shared driveway area.

“Everything happened so quickly that I had no time to react,” Ms Davies said.

“I suddenly felt the impact as it clamped on to my lower leg, knocking me off my feet.

“Before I knew it, I was on the ground in severe pain.”

Katy Davies, who has been working as a postwoman in Bristol for around three years, suffered serious injuries in January 2026 when a dog attacked her while she was out delivering mail. (PA)

Ms Davies explained she had known the dog for years and it had never showed signs of aggression towards her before.

It bit Ms Davies below the knee, causing five puncture wounds – two of which required stitches – and caused tendon damage.

“I couldn’t walk unaided for around three weeks, couldn’t drive for approximately three months and was off work for three months while I recovered,” Ms Davies said.

“The wounds later became badly infected, which made an already painful recovery even more difficult.

“One of the puncture wounds took weeks, if not months, to heal properly, and I still live with the effects of the injury today.”

Ms Davies said the attack’s biggest impact was psychological as it left her feeling “very anxious and depressed” in the following months.

“I’ll never quite be the same person I was before,” she said.

“The scars on my leg are permanent, but the mental scars run much deeper.

“I’m not frightened of dogs, but the incident has made me much more cautious.

“It showed me that these situations can happen unexpectedly, even with dogs that have never shown any signs of aggression before.”

Postie Katy Davies had been on her usual delivery route when the dog approached her at speed from behind as she turned a corner into a shared driveway area (PA)

She added: “I meet lots of lovely dogs on my round, and the vast majority are well behaved and kept under control.

“But dogs are naturally territorial animals and, however well behaved they may normally be, they can sometimes react unpredictably.

“My message to dog owners is simple: please don’t take any risks.

“Your dog may be the friendliest dog in the world, but animals can act unpredictably.

“Keeping your dog safely secured before opening the door or accepting a delivery can prevent serious incidents from happening.”

Precautions such as using dog gates or setting up an external letterbox “can make a huge difference” for postmen and women, Ms Davies added.

“I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I experienced,” she said.

“By taking a few simple precautions, dog owners can help keep posties, visitors and their dogs safe.”

Lizz Lloyd, health and safety director at Royal Mail, said: “While it’s encouraging to see dog attacks on our colleagues fall by 8% last year, these incidents remain a serious risk to postal workers, resulting in painful injuries and lasting distress.

“We continue to raise awareness of the issue among the public, but preventing attacks starts at the doorstep.

“We’re urging dog owners to take simple steps, such as keeping pets secure before opening the door, to help keep our people safe.”