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Specsavers Radio Advert Portraying A Dog Attack On A Postal Worker Withdrawn
After CWU Protest

Specsavers the British multinational optical retail chain with 900 stores has taken  its latest Radio Advert off the air following a strong protest by the Communication Workers Union.

The Optical giant had produced an advert making fun of a dog attack on Postman.

CWU’s National Health and Safety Officer Dave Joyce told Unionsafety:

“3000 Postal workers are attacked, bitten and injured by dogs every year, 45 every week and 1000 postmen and women have had a finger bitten off in the last 5 years. 3 Postmen and Women were nearly killed. Many are so badly injured physically and mentally they are unable to continue working as a postman or woman after recovering from a dog attack.

Our cause and campaign to change attitudes is not helped and in fact is damaged by irresponsible adverts like the one ‘Specsavers’ are now putting out, broadcasting on National Radio which creates the misleading impression of a dangerous situation being nothing other than fun. It is far from fun being a postal worker dog attack
victim!”

An example of such and the trauma it can cause was highlighted by an attack on a postwoman in the CWU Grter Mersey Amal Branch on her first day of delivering mail!

Speaking out about the risk to postmen and women during a day of postal delivery in July 2016, Clare Kammi made this video below which clearly shows the trauma suffered by Royal Mail employees after facing a vicious dog and suffering an attack, irrespective of the degree of physical injury sustained:

 

Dave further commented:

“Despite the CWU and Royal Mails campaigning efforts, the nation still has a problem with irresponsible dog owners and they need no encouragement from major, household name companies like‘Specsavers’.”

Led by Dave Joyce, the CWU launched its 'Bite-Back' Campaign in 2007 aimed at encouraging more responsible
dog  ownership, changing the nation's dangerous dogs laws, strengthening enforcement and toughening up the
sentencing of those irresponsible dog owners, guilty of offences in connection with aggravated dog attacks.

The campaign was very successful, gaining significant law changes in particular the extension of the law to
private property which was not previously covered by the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act and there’s been a
significant number of prosecutions since the changes.

The CWU campaign gained widespread support from the Police, Politicians, Local Authorities, Dog Wardens,
Dog Charities such as Dogs Trusts, RSPCA, PDSA, Battersea Dogs Home etc, the Medical Profession, Vets, the
public and many Companies.

Dave Joyce concluded:

“To encourage dog owners that its humorous for Postal workers to suffer violence as victims of aggressive dogs is irresponsible corporate behaviour. We’re deeply concerned about the impact of these adverts from a large organisation such as Specsavers, the largest optician in the UK with a network of over 900 stores. These adverts are not funny. They help perpetuate the image of dog attacks on postal workers being nothing more than a joke and it negates the efforts of Royal Mail Group and the Communication Workers Union to encourage responsible dog ownership amongst the UK’s 10 million dog owners.”

Jo Delbridge Specsavers Director of Public Relations responded for the company stating:

“We have taken on board the CWU feedback and the advert will no longer be on air from Monday. We would neither condone nor attempt to portray an injurious attack on a postal worker. Our radio ad was designed to be a playful and light- hearted”

Source: CWU

See also: The Nightmare Legacy Of Being Bitten By A Dangerous Dog - A Fear Of All Animals

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