The postal union has backed new court guidelines which will see tougher sentencing for people owning dangerous dogs, although it insists they still do not go far enough to halt soaring levels of attacks.
To many, the sight of a dog attacking a postie may seem more reminiscent of a Tex Avery cartoon, but with over 3,100 attacks recorded against Royal Mail workers in the year up to April 2012, the union maintains it is no laughing matter.
The new guidelines were adopted yesterday by judges and magistrates in England and Wales, meaning that owners who allow their dog to be dangerously out of control could be slapped with an 18-month prison term if someone is injured.
In exceptional cases, courts could impose a two-year jail term. Previously, the maximum limit was 12 months’ custody.
The Sentencing Council, an independent body tied to the Ministry of Justice that advises the UK courts on sentencing, said the new guidelines will encourage courts to ban irresponsible owners from owning dogs, require genuinely dangerous dogs to be put down and compensation paid to victims.
The Communication Workers Union said the new rules were welcome, particularly since there were no formal guidelines on sentencing for dangerous dogs offences before.
But CWU health, safety and environment officer Dave Joyce said a change in the law was still needed to boost the number of successful prosecutions concerning dangerous dogs.
“Thousands of innocent people – including young children and postal workers – are being attacked by dogs every year,” said Joyce. “The change in sentencing is welcome, but much more needs to be done to prevent attacks from happening in the first place and to encourage more responsible dog ownership.”
The CWU, which has more than 204,000 members in postal, telecoms and financial services sectors, launched a “Bit Back” campaign back in 2008 to highlight dangerous dog issues.
The union says 70% of dog attacks on postal workers take place on private property, where UK dangerous dogs legislation does not apply.
Along with extending the current laws to private property, the CWU wants to see dogs compulsorily microchipped and insured for potential damages. It also wants dog control notices used for dangerous dogs, and compensation provided to victims.
Earlier this year, Royal Mail launched an independent inquiry into dog attacks on postal workers, which, according to some reports, occur at a rate of up to 20 a day.
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