Delivering message to dog owners
JUST PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF LEAVING THE GATE OPEN
POSTIE GLEN NOLAN
NO one should fear being attacked by a dog while doing their job but this is the reality for Gold Coast posties.
As residents increasingly turn to online shopping and more parcels are delivered beyond the letterbox, posties are required to enter the front yard and knock on the door, where they can encounter additional hazards.
Nearly a dozen postal delivery officers were attacked since July last year and most needed medical attention.
One of the worst incidents happened at Nerang this year when a dangerous dog escaped the house and bit a postie on the leg.
Postie Glen Nolan was just two months into his new role with Australia Post when he was attacked by a dog at Arundel.
Mr Nolan suffered some grazing and a torn uniform, and his motorbike was damaged.
He said the incident hasn’t made him fearful of dogs but he had a message for pet owners.
“Most owners often say, ‘Don’t worry, my dog doesn’t bite’, but sometimes a dog may react to a stranger or might not like something different they see on your bike,”
Mr Nolan said. “On the whole, dog owners are pretty good. The biggest issue is if they’re doing repairs on the house, most of the time it’s when they’re working on the house, or the gate’s been left open.
“And in a message to homeowners when driving in or out, just please be mindful of leaving the gate open.”
Arundel, Bundall and Nerang were the most dangerous locations, with three dog attacks reported in each suburb from July last year.
Burleigh Heads recorded two attacks, with one postie needing medical attention.
An Australia Post spokesman said posties were commonly attacked by a dog coming through the front door.
“An aggressive dog can be a dangerous and scary encounter for a postie while delivering your letters and parcels,” he said.
“For the safety of everyone, we ask dog owners to do the right thing and keep your dog safely out of the way throughout the day.”
Queensland accounted for 26 per cent of the 272 dog attacks in Australia in 2019.
The highest number of attacks occurred on the footpath (41 per cent), followed by the front door (22 per cent), the front yard (16 per cent) and the letterbox (16 per cent).