Royal Mail have said i'm going to have to put down my dog.?

Question

I have 2 dogs that usually make a fuss and bark at the Post man but today they were accidentally let out of the house when the postman was coming to deliver the mail as i hadn't seen that the postman was there.

On his own one of the dogs, a collie, is the gentilest dog you could imagine but the two dogs together act as a pack and he can get quite excited and appear quite aggressive BUT he is not an aggressive dog.

Sometimes when we play he can nip my hands by mistake but he doesn't do it intentionally to play, it's just when he gets worked up as he never socialised with humans as a pup (we got him as a rescue dog)

Anyway, this morning he accidentally nipped the posties hand, it wasn't bleeding but just a bit bruised and i imagine most of the damage done was by the postman swiftly removing his hand. It was totally my fault due to bad timing and i asked the man if he wanted anything for his hand or any medical assistance but he refused and said he was ok.

However the manager came round to my house and told me my dog is going to have to be put down as he's dangerous. i'm heartbroken because he's such a lovely dog and is always wonderful around people. He is not a dangerous dog at all, it was just an unfortunate accident on my account. i know it might sound like im just biased of my own dog but he really is lovely. On his own he wouldnt even bark at the postman. But i dont know what to do. Theres no way i want to put my gorgeous boy down

Answer 1

Royal mail can't tell you to put your dog down, they can however refuse service if their employees are unsafe..Your dog is not dangerous and royal mail cannot make the decision on their own that it is, thats just rubbish this guy has spouted... It takes a court order, appearances and testimony then an order of destruction to be granted You have to get any witnesses to back you up in saying how the postman claimed to be ok after the incident...



The manager sounds like a total dick, if I were you get a mail box at your gate and take legal advice about the mangers threatening and misleading behaviour..You have to ensure that your dogs are controlled and not anywhere near their personnel when they call...Also have a dog lives here sign on your gate to make people aware...

Answer 2

As others said - the Royal Mail on their own cannot order a dog be put down.



If your dog only nipped, but didn't break the skin, of the mailman he really cannot sue and win unless his hand was severely bruised. Also I'm not sure the police would get involved unless the bite broke the skin but they may since it's the mail man. But if this was the first offense, no dog could be put down for a nip.



Get your vaccination records together, make copies and keep them at hand in case anyone comes asking.



Get a sign for the garden gate that says "Do not enter". Do NOT get a sign that says "Beware of Dog". That could be construed as admitting that you have pre knowledge that your dog may bite.



If you can, place a lock on the gate. If there's no place for a lock, put a chain and a lock around the gate to prevent entrance. This way the mailman cannot come to your door any longer and will have to deliver the mail to the proper box - as he should have in the first place. Some mailmen feel like they can do whatever they wish and he may try to enter the garden anyway. The lock will stop this.



Next time the mailman arrives, if you are in the garden just go inside and allow the mailman to discover he can no longer enter the garden himself. You've already profusely apologized - there's nothing further to say. The fact that management took the time to come out and threaten you - instead of sending the police - makes me suspicious of motives. So say no more about the incident (they could be recording you), deny him access to the garden and being the dogs inside whenever you see the mail man. And no longer allow anyone of the royal mail to speak to you a disrespectfully as the manager did. Just go inside.



If anyone shows up to talk about the incident, say only that the postman didn't have to enter the garden and shouldn't have when a he saw the dogs were out. If they talk of compensation, go get an attorney. Any payments you make would be an admission of fault - and could open you up for a further suit.



If this was the regular mail man, I don't know how he couldn't have known the dogs get excited by his presence - even if the dogs were inside, he had to have heard them barking on previous visits. I half wonder if he was fishing for a slight injury he could claim was more severe so that he could get time off.

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Answer 3

Whoever said that at the Royal Mail does not know the current law.



As it stands if a postie is injured by a dog on a home owner’s property which includes the garden, the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 does not apply, as it had not been extended (due to be amended) to cover private property.



There is a possibility that you could be prosecuted under the Dogs Act 1871 as it does not matter where the incident took place. However, as the court cannot order compensation, there is less incentive for a person to pursue a claim, as there is no financial benefit.



Highly unlikely that if Royal Mail did pursue this your dog would be ordered destroyed, and possibly a control order depending on all the facts of the case, the magistrate on the day and how good your legal representation was.



Contact Cooper and Co solicitors for preliminary legal advice I suggest, as they are experts on daw law and if Royal Mail are trying to bully you into making a payment, they would be able to assist you with this.

Answer 4

Unfortunately the way the world works, that pooch is now 'dangerous'.



However that's no reason to have him put down and nobody will make you do that just because he suckled on a postmans hand.



Greyhound - You are an ignorant douchebag and know nothing.



If there's a lesson to be learnt for next time (if there is a next time). Never admit to it! Where there's a blame, there's a claim. There's one and only reason Royal Mail are pressing this and that's because the postman wants a new car/family holiday this year. The selfish prick doesn't know you so why would he care how traumatic it could be for you? Next time, just deny it! It never happened!



Best of luck.

Answer 5

I was a rural delivery postman for five years, and was only seriously bitten once, and that was by a pub dog - a golden retriever I knew well, and one of the gentlest of all dog breeds, who was just having a bad morning. I was once coralled by a pair of circling German shepherds, who did an excellent job - they were letting me get nowhere and barking loudly to alert the owner to either call the police or tell the dogs to release me.



I think the Royal Mail might struggle a bit pursuing a case against you under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Dogs and postmen have been a way of life since there have been postmen, and your dog is only defending your territory as comes naturally. It does not seem a vicious attack, as say by a Pit Bull, and was more a warning than anything.



The manager is quite within his rights to instruct his employees not to deliver mail to your door any longer, since he has a duty of care to his staff. Rather than put down your dog, would not a compromise solution be to put a box and a bell at your gate, so the postman no longer has to go inside your property to deliver the mail?



I have done this myself, since the path to my front door was not safe.

Answer 6

A dog should not ever be allowed out off lead until they have covered the basics. Collars etc are only props that are not needed if you do the basic obedience training, and should never replace basic training.

Read here https://tr.im/nycqQ



There is no better way than enrolling at a good dog school where people can show you just how its done, especially if you are first time dog owner, its way better than trying to teach by yourself and getting it wrong. (its like trying to learn kung fu or yoga out of a book - you cant be sure you are doing it properly without help from a mentor who can demonstrate the correct techniques for best effect) Then you have to be consistent and practice every day. Your dog risks being hit by a car, casing accident etc and simply should not be let out like that until you have trained it properly. The dog needs to learn using a set system so it understands what you want. Dogs do not understand english (or any other human language). Its not really fair on the dog if you dont put the time in. And training using positive reinforcement is better than those collars which work on negative reinforcement / fear. Collars should only be used under expert advice where all regular training methods have failed. Oh, and dog should be behind fence and closed gates.



Also you will really enjoy dog classes and will find you form a strong bond of friendship with your dog as the lessons progress, and your dog learns to look to you for instruction, which is a lovely feeling of accomplishment!) Good luck. (PS a good reason to go to class not train at home, apart from this being your first time doing it, is that way you and dog learn around other dogs / distractions, whereas if you train at home you still have to teach dog to obey you in public where dog might act differently. At dog class you do exercises meeting and greeting other dogs, weaving around them, etc that you cannot do by yourself at home, and that makes your dog great in any situation.)

Answer 7

Unfortunately in the eyes of the law and the mamby-pamby jobsworths whose task it is to handle and reduce insurance issues relating to postal staff at work, you do indeed now have a dangerous dog. It's a dog owners worse nightmare when their trusted dog bites a caller out of the blue.

I think what will happen is that they will warn you about possible prosecution and refuse to deliver post to you. If you keep the dog you will need to put up a postal box that's reachable from the outside of your property, go to the Post Office to collect bulkier items, and, now that you have 'previous' take prompt and effective measures that will prevent your dogs from attacking (or even scaring) other delivery people.

You are not allowed to have a dog dangerously out of control in a public place nor out of control in a place where certain licensed workers need freedom to call on a regular basis.

Answer 8

Point out to them that Collie's do not come under the dangerous dogs act and therefore they cannot be put down under that. Also point out that you have a post box at the end of the garden and the postman CHOSE to come onto your property, therefore HE is liable for his own action.



They dont have a leg to stand on, trust me. I used to have kids coming into my garden until I threatened them with my Labrador that I would keep on a lead, she'd bark and snarl and all that. They threatened me with having her put down so I phoned the police and asked their advice.

Firstly the dog was on its own terrortory, so no problem there. The person chose to come onto your property, their problem not yours, and as with your dog my Labrador wasn't registered as a dangerous breed. Needless to say I heard nothing.



GIve the police a ring and just ask for their advice about it, and I would complain to the mail company and make it clear that you have a postbox at the end of your garden and any postman that comes past that does so at his own risk.

Answer 9

The manager at the post office cannot tell you to put down your dog. If the police/dog wardens come, then you have an issue. And usually if a dog bites someone he is put on the dangerous dog list and he can't be out without a muzzle. I think the dog gets a couple of chances before he is put down.

Answer 10

I can't see how the manager can tell you to have your dog put down, that's a police matter/dangerous dogs act and all that, it was good that you offered the postie assistance, due to law he would have had to report the incident just in case,

Answer 11

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Answer 12

The only way a dog can be made to be put to sleep is if the police prosecute you and a Judge orders this in a court of law .

Other than that no .

Answer 13

I think legally he's not got enough to have a animal put down if you think it's going to far you could have a dog Professional look at your dog to prove that he's not aggressive

Answer 14

They would have to report the incident to the police or animal control. They cannot just tell you to have the dog put down.

Answer 15

Either move out and better control your dogs or just ignore it and better control the dogs and lock the gate

Answer 16

This was no accident - your dog bit the postman because he wanted to!



I'm sorry, but any dog that will run up to a stranger (that means no harm) and bites them is a dangerous dog. I can not comment on what your local laws are to as to the disposition of such an animal.



I understand you are attached to the dog, as he is loyal to you. Too bad you didn't have your dogs safely contained within a fence, as they should have been.

Answer 17

As above. The police would have to be involved before that is a possibility, and it would have to go through a court also.