More than 55 postal workers a week are attacked by dogs while at work, prompting calls for dog owners to put their dogs on their heels.
Australia Post says there have been as many as 11 dog-related incidents a day over the past six months.
Queensland continues to record the highest number of incidents with 466 incidents in the past six months, followed by NSW with 408 and Western Australia with 215.
While no dog breed is more likely to attack than another, Australia Post says the smaller dogs are the most aggressive.
Australia Post general manager of safety and welfare Rod Maule called on dog owners to take responsibility for their pets.
Australia Post is calling on dog owners to take responsibility for their pets. (Lukas Coch/MONKEY PHOTOS)
“Our team members just want to be able to deliver for our customers without being attacked, harassed or chased by dogs,” Maule said Monday.
‘Posts will not deliver if it is unsafe for them and will stop delivering to customers’ homes until the danger has passed.’
Australia Post data shows that half of all incidents occur on customer premises, while almost a third occur at the front door.
Of particular concern are dog bites during letter deliveries, with 15 percent of incidents occurring when a postman places mail in a letterbox.
Australia Post also reports dog-related incidents to the relevant local councils to ensure enforcement action is taken.