A Sheffield postwoman has been attacked by a dog on her first day back at work – just weeks after being scarred for life by a French Mastiff.
Lynne Hudson, aged 47, was knocked to the ground by the French Mastiff as she delivered post three weeks ago to a house with no dog warning signs.
The hound tore into her ribcage, leaving an eight-inch wound. Its owner reportedly broke into hysterics after the vicious attack and comforted the dog – which may have to be put down.
On single mum Lynne’s first day back at work after her ordeal, she was attacked again. Lynne, who lives in Beighton and has worked as a postie for eight years, said: “My nine-year-old son is now terrified, thinking I’m going to leave for work and never come back.
“You get over the physical side of an attack but you never get over the mental side.”
The second attack, which was by a smaller dog and left Lynne with more scratches, came as Sheffield was revealed as among the worst for dog attacks on postal workers in the country.
In the UK, there are around seven dog attacks on postal workers a day. In Sheffield, there were 51 dog attacks on postal workers between April 2015 and April this year. In Doncaster, there were 38.
Peter Goddard, union representative for Sheffield City Delivery Office, said: “There’s that postcard image of a dog chasing a postman down the street, but it’s serious. It can ruin people’s lives.
“Dogs don’t just bite. They rip, they tear, they savage. I’ve seen missing fingers, I’ve seen bites on the neck.”
Peter, who has worked as a postal officer for 20 years and has suffered five attacks – one of which required surgery – believes the best way to tackle the problem is community justice.
“If the owners of dangerous dogs could sit in front of postal workers, if they could see the damage done, they might change their ways.”
This week, Royal Mail launched their fourth National Dog Awareness Week in a bid to encourage responsible dog ownership.
Dr Shaun Davis, Royal Mail group director of safety, health, wellbeing and sustainability, said: “Our postmen and women deliver to over 29 million addresses across the country. We ask them to exercise caution and respect for all family members, including pets when delivering the mail. This summer, we are also appealing to dog owners and their families to help reduce the numbers of attacks, particularly at the door and in the garden.”
Under the Dangerous Dog Act, a dangerous dog may be destroyed and the owner can face criminal action.
Dog owners should keep their dogs out of the way when postal workers are out delivering, and consider fitting a secure mailbox on the edge of their property.