Sheffield worst place for dog attacks on Postal workers for second year
The number of dog attacks on Royal Mail workers has fallen over the past year, but still remain “unacceptably high”, new figures show.
The company announced there were 2,019 dog attacks on its staff, an 8% decrease compared to the previous year.
There were an average of 38 dog attacks on Royal Mail staff every week across the UK, with some leading to permanent and disabling injuries.
Royal Mail appealed to dog owners to ensure they understand the impact of dog attacks on postmen and postwomen and to take proper measures to ensure their pets pose no threat to delivery postal workers.
For the second consecutive year, the Sheffield postcode recorded the highest number of incidents, with 61 attacks reported.
Two postcode areas were ranked joint second — DN (Doncaster) and GU (Guildford), each recording 53 incidents, followed by NE (Newcastle) and PO (Portsmouth) with 50 attacks each.
Around half of attacks happened at the front door, a 4% increase on last year.
Royal Mail said the figures highlighted that the majority of incidents happen on private property, where postal workers have a legal right to access.
One in four incidents took place in a garden, drive or yard and there were 135 attacks in the street or road.
There were 324 injuries suffered as a result of attacks through a letterbox.
Dog attacks resulted in 3,442 days of absence in 2025/26 – with the longest period lasting over 300 days.
Katy Davies, who has been working as a postwoman for around three years, suffered serious injuries in January 2026 when a dog attacked her while she was out delivering mail.
She had been on her usual delivery route when the dog approached her at speed from behind as she turned a corner into a shared driveway area.
“Everything happened so quickly that I had no time to react,” Ms Davies said.
“I suddenly felt the impact as it clamped on to my lower leg, knocking me off my feet.
“Before I knew it, I was on the ground in severe pain.”
Ms Davies explained she had known the dog for years and it had never showed signs of aggression towards her before.
It bit Ms Davies below the knee, causing five puncture wounds – two of which required stitches – and caused tendon damage.
“I couldn’t walk unaided for around three weeks, couldn’t drive for approximately three months and was off work for three months while I recovered,” Ms Davies said.
“The wounds later became badly infected, which made an already painful recovery even more difficult.
“One of the puncture wounds took weeks, if not months, to heal properly, and I still live with the effects of the injury today.”
Ms Davies said the attack’s biggest impact was psychological as it left her feeling “very anxious and depressed” in the following months.
“I’ll never quite be the same person I was before,” she said.
“The scars on my leg are permanent, but the mental scars run much deeper.
“I’m not frightened of dogs, but the incident has made me much more cautious.
“It showed me that these situations can happen unexpectedly, even with dogs that have never shown any signs of aggression before.”
She added: “I meet lots of lovely dogs on my round, and the vast majority are well behaved and kept under control.
“But dogs are naturally territorial animals and, however well behaved they may normally be, they can sometimes react unpredictably.
“My message to dog owners is simple: please don’t take any risks.
“Your dog may be the friendliest dog in the world, but animals can act unpredictably.
“Keeping your dog safely secured before opening the door or accepting a delivery can prevent serious incidents from happening.”
Precautions such as using dog gates or setting up an external letterbox “can make a huge difference” for postmen and women, Ms Davies added.
“I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I experienced,” she said.
“By taking a few simple precautions, dog owners can help keep posties, visitors and their dogs safe.”
Lizz Lloyd, health and safety director at Royal Mail, said: “While it’s encouraging to see dog attacks on our colleagues fall by 8% 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.”