Overview
- Royal Mail, in late March, asked households with dogs to display a free window notice that reads "I HAVE A DOG. Please wait whilst I secure my dog before opening the door" so posties can pause while pets are shut away.
- The company says it informs police after an attack and may suspend deliveries to that address to prevent repeat incidents.
- Official data published in June 2025 shows 2,197 dog attacks on postal workers in the year, a 2% rise that averages about 42 a week nationwide.
- Nearly half of incidents happen at the front door and 18% involve bites through letterboxes, which led to about 2,700 days off work and 74 significant injuries in 2024/25.
- Royal Mail advises securing dogs in another room, closing gates, fitting a letterbox cage or an external mailbox, and it cites hotspot areas such as Sheffield while noting past legal action including over 30 private prosecutions and two High Court cases on letterbox bites.