Canada Post urging residents to keep dogs inside when carriers are delivering parcels

Canada Post is preparing for the rush of parcel shipments, but man’s best friend is causing some trouble for delivery agents.

“Every day, our employees deliver to millions of homes across Canada,” Canada Post said in a press release. “An estimated 36 per cent of these households have dogs, according to 2021 figures, and our delivery agents encounter them every day while delivering mail and parcels.”

They said, many of their delivery agents have an instance of dogs threatening them or being bitten.

Within Regina there have been a number of cases this year.

“In 2022 we have had six incidents with dogs. We only had one in 2021 and two in 2020,” said Sony Saran, a supervisor letter carrier in Regina for Canada Post.

Some of the delivery agents required medical attention after being bitten or attacked.

Saran said they want to remind dog owners to be careful with their pets when postal carriers are making deliveries.

Some of the tips include:

• Not opening the door when deliveries are being made
• Keeping your dog in another room at the time of the delivery
• Allowing the delivery to be put in the mailbox before coming outside to collect it, rather than meeting the delivery agent outside.

“We just want to pass the message to the homeowners to help us deliver safely at their homes,” Saran said. “We love dogs, too, right? But no matter how lovely the dog is, it can still bite.”