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Look after your local postie!





Dog Awareness Week has been launched
Dog Awareness Week has been launched

A campaign to reduce the number of dog attacks in Scotland has been launched.

Royal Mail has started its annual Dog Awareness Week, with support from a number of charities and other organisations.

The initiative aims to further raise awareness of the issue of dog attacks on postmen and women and other members of the public, highlight the need for responsible dog ownership and appeal to dog owners to keep animals under control.

The number of dog attacks rises by over a quarter during the school holidays and in the summer months when parents and children are at home and dogs can sometimes be unsupervised in the garden or out onto the street without restraints.

Royal Mail claims dog attacks are a significant hazard faced by postmen and women on a daily basis.

It says around 336 Scottish postmen and women were attacked by dogs from April 2014 to April 2015, down two per cent on the previous year.

TV presenter and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home ambassador Paul O’Grady is supporting the scheme and said: “Your dog may be your best friend but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s everyone’s best friend.

“Our four-legged friends can get anxious around new people and need our help and reassurance.

“It’s our job as good pet owners to make sure we treat our dogs with love and respect but also take the right steps to ensure they have safe and happy interactions not just with postmen but any visitors to the home.

“So many dog bites could be avoided if we all took more time to train and socialise our dogs and get them used to meeting new people.”

A poster will be on display in enquiry offices across the UK giving tips to dog owners on how they can help keep the postman safe when they call to deliver their mail.


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