CWU Calls For Stronger Action As UK Dog Attack Crisis Continues To Grow

Dog Awareness Week 6th to 12th July 2026

 

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is promoting National Dog Awareness Week 2026 to highlight the growing national crisis of dog attacks and to renew calls for stronger action to protect postal workers (Royal Mail and Parcelforce) and the wider public.

Dog attacks remain one of the most significant safety risks facing postal workers across the UK.

 

However, this is not solely an occupational issue. Since the pandemic, dog attacks have risen sharply across the country, with incidents now occurring both on public streets and within people’s homes at an alarming rate.

For postal workers, the consequences can be devastating.

In the video above a brave CWU member from Grter Mersey Amal recalls an episode when she was attacked by a dog. Sadly, her experience left her so traumatised, that she eventually had to give up her job as a postal worker.

 

Dog attacks continue to cause permanent scarring and disfigurement, severe nerve, muscle and tendon damage, psychological trauma, loss of earnings, and the need for surgery, rehabilitation and long- term medical treatment.

 

The CWU issued regular updates on statistics and real-life cases of people attacked and injured by dogs, up until Re-Design did away with the Union's National Health and Safety Department and the national officer's post.

 

Statistics indicate that more than 30,000 postal workers have been attacked by dogs over the past decade, with approximately 1,000 workers suffering the loss of a finger or part of a finger through letterbox attacks. Royal Mail figures released today show 2,019 dog attacks occurred in the year from the end of March 2025 to the end of March 2026.

This means that, on average, 38 attacks take place every week across the UK on postal workers (Royal Mail and Parcelforce).The CWU is particularly concerned by the UK Government’s recent decision to remove the requirement for owners of exempted banned dogs to maintain compulsory third-party liability insurance from 1 July 2026.

Mandatory Insurance was one of the few practical protections put in place for when owners of banned breeds applied for an index of exempted dogs (IED) certificate. It recognised that if an otherwise prohibited dog was permitted to remain in the community, there should be a means of compensating someone seriously injured by it.

While criminal liability under the Dangerous Dogs Act remains in place, the CWU believes that access to civil remedies through insurance claims often provides victims with faster and more comprehensive financial support than criminal proceedings alone. Removing this protection risks transferring the financial burden of serious dog attacks onto innocent victims and their families.

In many cases, the costs associated with medical treatment, rehabilitation, lost income and long-term care may instead fall upon employers, the NHS and the wider welfare system. Police statistics reported over the past year show a significant increase in dog attacks, and with postal workers (Royal Mail and Parcelforce) delivering to more than 32 million addresses every day, this upward trend represents an increasing threat to the safety and wellbeing of frontline workers carrying out an essential public service.

 

The CWU is calling for tougher enforcement against irresponsible dog owners who fail to properly control and secure their animals.

The CWU believes that individual dog owners whose negligence leads to attacks on postal workers should be prosecuted and face penalties that reflect the seriousness of the harm caused.

The Union's latest report into Dog Safety activities is available to download as a PDF docuemnt by clicking on the image to the leftg, and also by going to the Unionsafety E-Library database using keywords 'dangerous dogs' where you can download additional material on dangerous dogs.

 

The CWU remains committed to education and prevention.

We continue to work closely with police forces, local authorities and environmental health teams across the UK to tackle irresponsible dog ownership.

The CWU has also developed partnerships with the Welsh Government, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the Pet Education Partnership (PEP) and the Laika Family, helping to promote innovation, responsible ownership and public education as key tools in reducing dog attacks and protecting communities.

 

Source: CWU / Jamie McGovern, National Health & Safety Policy Adviser