West Tyrone Sinn Fein Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Battles of letter box and garden gate no joke for postal staff

Published: 13 July, 2010

Sinn Féin councillor and Chairperson of Strabane District Council Michaela Boyle has lent her support to a campaign by the Post Office to encourage dog owners to be vigilant as to the whereabouts of their pets when postmen and women call.

She said,

"The every-morning 'battles of the letter box and garden gates' that postmen and women have to endure with dogs are seen by most of us as an occupational hazard which just goes with the territory of the job. But while we mostly tend to treat the matter in a light-hearted manner figures supplied by the Post Office highlight just how serious and issue this is:

"Over the past year, a third of all accidents suffered by Royal Mail staff have involved dogs with an average of two attacks per week. Last year there were more than one hundred reported attacks and while most of these resulted in minor nips some of the more serious involved hospital care and treatments.

"So I would like to add my support to the campaign to highlight the campaign to encourage dog owners to be vigilant and to monitor the whereabouts of their pets when your postman and woman are due to deliver your mail. This is particularly important during these summer months when dogs are more likely to be out in the garden and naturally feel protective of their territory.