By Liam Verster

Postal Worker Safety

Canada Post asking dog owners to help prevent injuries to postal workers

May 16, 2021 | 6:00 AM

As the weather improves and more people spend time out in the yard with their pets, Canada Post asks that dog owners do their part to make sure postal workers aren’t put at risk of dog attacks and injuries.

In 2020, there were six incidents where dogs injured postal workers in Grande Prairie, four of which involved physical assault by a dog. Already in 2021, there have been two similar incidents in the Swan City.

Monica Modrall, a letter carrier in Grande Prairie and an active member of the local Joint Health and Safety Committee for Canada Post, says there are several ways a dog could hurt a postal worker. They could physically bite the person, or they could trip up or knock over someone, which is especially dangerous at the top of a staircase.

Modrall says 36 per cent of Canadian households own a dog, and while not all dogs are bad or aggressive, they can be put off by someone entering the property and rattling the mailbox or knocking on the door.

She says there are plenty of things dog owners can do to ensure their letter carriers and delivery people are protected.

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“Things that a property owner could do is be careful when you’re answering the door so that the dog doesn’t slip out without you knowing,” says Modrall.

“You could keep your dog in another room if you have to engage with a delivery driver, and there’s absolutely no problem on the delivery drivers if you say ‘Just a minute, I’m going to put my dog away.’ We all appreciate that.”

“Keep dogs inside in a fenced yard or tied up away from the front door or the mailbox, because that’s where the tripping hazard comes in. Keep your front doors and your gates locked and closed.”

She also asks that people not let their dogs approach postal workers while they are out doing their rounds.

Modrall adds that with more people ordering items online, there are more packages being delivered, which puts postal workers at risk even further.

“Packages make it a little more difficult because people want to open the doors, they want to accept the package, they want to engage with you because they’re happy to get the package. And that’s an incident where a dog can escape very easily, and it’s not a bad dog, it’s just a dog that is taking advantage of the door opening, and the posties have their hands full so they’re defenceless.”

She adds the risk is even higher for a delivery from a third party company, because, unlike the postal worker who may be recognizable from seeing the dog several times a week, those individuals may be strangers to the animal and be more likely to elicit a response.

Modrall adds that, in general, there are more incidents in the warmer months when people are going in and out of the house and the dogs are outside, but incidents can happen any time of the year, and she asks that dog owners be aware of their animals and make sure they do their part to prevent any harmful interactions.

Canada Post has also launched a social media campaign to remind dog owners to be safe and take measures to prevent any of these instances. Canada Post is running video reminders on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.