Royal Mail is urging dog owners to display a simple sign in their front window to alert postal workers that a dog is present, aiming to reduce the risk of delivery suspensions and injuries. Approximately 41% of UK households—roughly 12 million homes—own a dog, and Royal Mail reserves the right to suspend deliveries if a dog is loose or aggressive.
Free Sign Available for Download
The free printable sign can be downloaded from the Royal Mail website and reads: "I HAVE A DOG. Please wait whilst I secure my dog before opening the door." It should be placed in a window close to the front door so it is visible before the pet is alerted to the postie's arrival. For those without a printer, a handwritten sign works just as well.
Preventing Dog Attacks
Royal Mail warns that injuries to postal workers caused by pets can include severe bites to the hands through letterboxes, as well as attacks from dogs that escape from properties or gardens when staff arrive. The sign helps protect postal workers from thousands of dog attacks each year.
Tips for Dog Owners
Alongside putting up the sign, dog owners are urged to control their pets when anticipating post or parcels: move the dog to a different room or behind a gate before opening the front door, secure the garden so the dog cannot jump out, and install a wire cage over the letterbox to prevent biting fingers. Distracting the dog with treats or toys and teaching it to go to a designated place when the doorbell rings can also help.
Consequences of an Incident
If Royal Mail suspends delivery following a dog incident, all post is stopped immediately and kept at the local Delivery Office. The suspension can affect just one household or an entire street if the dog is considered a general danger. A Royal Mail manager will send a formal letter specifying required safety measures, such as installing an external mailbox, fitting a wire letterbox cage, and providing written assurance the dog will be kept in a secure room during delivery hours. Affected households must collect post in person with proof of address and valid photo ID.
Under a 2020 High Court ruling, dog owners can be prosecuted if their dog bites a postal worker, even if the worker was putting mail through the letterbox while the owner was not home. Dogs may be seized or put down.
