Worst states for dog attacks on posties revealed

The worst suburbs in Australia for dog attacks on posties have been revealed, with Queensland taking out the top spot and New South Wales coming in second.

New data from Australia Post shows that 1277 dog-related incidents have occurred nationwide in the last six months alone, averaging 10 attacks on posties per day.

“Every day there’s an incident,” Australia Post worker Joe Benforte told 9news.com.au.

He’d been doing the same postal route in the Campbelltown area for weeks when he first saw the dog that attacked him. 

Its owner had it on a leash, so Benforte figured he was safe.

“Nothing was out of the ordinary. The [owner] was coming up the footpath and normally we just give way and pull to the side,” Benforte told 9news.com.au.

That’s what he did, pulling his buggy to the left side of the footpath so the owner could pass on the right side with his dog.

In a blink, the dog’s body language changed.

“It became a bit eager and I couldn’t react quick enough,” Benforte said.

“The dog had jumped inside the buggy where I was and bit me on the back of the leg.”

Bleeding profusely, Benforte contacted an Australia Post colleague nearby for help and logged the attack in a postie hazard device before heading to hospital.

He required a tetanus injection and stitches on four puncture wounds. 

Benforte spent three days recovering before returning to work with a new wariness around dogs.

Queensland recorded 505 attacks in the last six months and NSW reported 367. The most common suburbs for attacks in Queensland were Darra, Stafford, and Toowoomba; the worst in NSW were Lidcombe, Alexandria, and Ingleburn.

Western Australia recorded 152 incidents, Victoria had 114 and South Australia reported 90. The safest states for posties were the Australian Capital Territory with just three attacks, Tasmania with 22, and the Northern Territory with 24.

In his five years with Australia Post, Benforte says the frequency of attacks on posties has risen, especially since dog ownership spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Every second house, there’s a dog either inside the house or outside, so we’ve got to be very vigilant,” he said.

There are currently more than 29,000 active or open dog-related cases logged in postie hazard devices nationally and no one breed is responsible.

The first dog that attacked Benforte was a pit bull and the second was a poodle, a breed not typically known for aggressive behaviour.

It lunged around its owner and bit Benforte on the leg when he knocked on the owner’s door to collect a signature for a package.

“I’ve gone to this house 20 times and I didn’t even know they had a poodle in the house … it was just that one time the dog came out and got me,” he said.

“Another time a dog got so upset that a postie was behind the door just to get a signature that the dog started attacking the owner.”

One in three dog-related incidents on posties occur at the front door during parcel delivery and Australia Post is urging Aussies to take steps to prevent these attacks.

When expecting a delivery, keep your dog secured in another room or safely behind you when opening the front door. 

Benforte has even seen customers install child gates to keep dogs away from posties making deliveries.

Dog owners are also urged to keep front gates shut at all times and secure outdoor dogs in backyards rather than out the front, where they’re more likely to encounter posties.

They are also advised to always keep dogs leashed while out in public and maintain a safe distance from posties.

“Making sure the dog is secure will make our job a thousand times easier and safer.”