Postman took more than 300 days off after being attacked by dog

A postman took more than 300 days off after being attacked by a dog, new data has revealed.

Royal Mail workers taking sick days for dog attacks was up 27 per cent in the last financial year to the previous one, hitting a record high of 3,442 days taken.

However, the number of post workers being subject to dog attacks has fallen by eight per cent, at 2,019.

This averages at 38 attacks a week, a figure post bosses have described as "unacceptably high".

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The rise in sick days taken was driven by individuals needing to take lengthier stints off due to attacks, with one postman taking 300 days off, the Telegraph reports.

Last year, Royal Mail staff took 2,700 days off, with the longest time being 108 days, despite there being more attacks (2,197).

Dog owners have been urged by Royal Mail to educate themselves on the impact a dog attack can have on postal workers and to take responsibility in ensuring their pets are not a threat.

Geographically, Sheffield is the worst place for dog attacks on postal workers.

Two years in a row the Steel City postcode (S) has recorded the highest number of incidents, with 61 reported in 2025-26.

In joint-second place, Doncaster (DN) and Guildford (GU) postcodes recorded 53 incidents each.

This is followed by Newcastle (NE) and Portsmouth (PO) who recorded 50 attacks each.

The number of sick days has risen significantly as in 2020-21, postal workers only took off 900 days sick after 1,670 attacks.

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The ratio of sick days taken per dog attack has more than tripled in four years, rising from 0.54 days per attack in 2020-21 to 1.71 days this year.

Around half of all attacks occurred at the front door, a four per cent increase on last year.

Incidents involving hands being bitten through letter boxes fell by a fifth to 324 - still almost one every day.

One in four incidents took place in a garden, drive or yard, with a further 135 occurring in the street or road.

Royal Mail said the figures underlined the majority of attacks happened on private property, where postal workers have a legal right to access.

Bristol postwoman Katy Davies was left unable to walk for three weeks and off work for three months after a dog she had known for years without incident attacked her from behind as she turned into a shared driveway in January.

The dog clamped onto her lower leg, knocking her to the ground and causing five puncture wounds, two of which required stitches, as well as tendon damage.

She said: "Everything happened so quickly that I had no time to react. Before I knew it, I was on the ground in severe pain."

The wounds later became badly infected and Ms Davies said the psychological impact was the hardest part of her recovery, leaving her feeling "very anxious and depressed" in the months that followed.

She said: "I'll never quite be the same person I was before. The scars on my leg are permanent, but the mental scars run much deeper."

Ms Davies called on dog owners to take simple precautions such as using dog gates or external letterboxes, adding: "I wouldn't want anyone else to go through what I experienced."

Lizz Lloyd, health and safety director at Royal Mail, said: "While it’s encouraging to see dog attacks on our colleagues fall by eight per cent 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."

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