New Ruling – Dog owners beware

The Police are asking dog owners to be mindful of their pets approaching letter boxes.

Following a High Court ruling, owners who fail to take steps to prevent their dogs from biting postal workers or those who deliver leaflets or free newspapers -- whether they are at home or not -- could be convicted of an offence.

The offence would occur under the Dangerous Dogs Act and the consequences could see owners face up to five years in prison and the dog destroyed.

The new ruling is especially relevant where someone may be bitten by a dog when they deliver items through the letter box

The High Court made the clarification to the Dangerous Dog Act following a case in which, Royal Mail prosecuted an owner after a postal worker lost the tip of his finger after pushing his hand through the letter box delivering mail to the address. Due to the dog roaming the house freely, the judge held the owner criminally liable.

The majority of dog owners are responsible and will do all they can to prevent them from hurting someone." Following the case, owners have been advised to install letter box cages, Mail Boxes or to keep dogs away from the front door.