A postwoman who was left scarred for life after a vicious dog attack has been awarded £70,000 in compensation.
She was delivering post to a farm in February 2007 when a German Shepherd dog attacked her.
The victim - a CWU member who does not wish to be identified - recalled that both her and her colleagues had feared that the dog could, potentially be dangerous. "It was usually on a leash but even then, we always said that if it ever managed to escape, it could kill us," she explained. "As the dog jumped over the gate and headed towards me growling and snarling I honestly thought that was it for me."
According to NHS statistics, the number of dog attack victims attending hospital emergency departments after a dog attack has risen by more than 40 per cent in the past four years and the CWU estimates that some 6,000 of these are postal workers attacked in the course of their duties.
The postwoman's injuries were so severe that she had to be transferred from her local hospital to receive specialist plastic surgery. "Luckily my hand looks ok now," she pointed out, "but I'll never be able to bend my finger properly and it is also difficult to grip with it."
Unusually, the dog was not destroyed after the attack - something which the victim is extremely concerned about.
"I can't bear to imagine what would have happened if it had been a mother and child that day," she added.
CWU national health, safety and environment officer Dave Joyce welcomed the compensation figure, which was part of an out-of-court settlement reached between both parties, but insisted: "It's clear that this dog was a menace and preventative action should have been taken prior to this horrific attack.
"Whilst welcoming this significant victory in relation to personal injury compensation, it does emphasise the importance of the ongoing CWU Biteback campaign which continues to fight for tougher laws to protect postal and other workers and members of the public from dangerous dogs.
There must be changes in the law and the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 must be amended so that it is the behaviour of dogs, rather than a particular breed, that is punished, " Dave urged, adding:
"
It is the deed, not the breed. "
The CWU, along with a broad and growing coalition of organisations and individuals, is campaigning for new laws giving the police and local authorities the power to issue control orders - "Dog ASBOs" - on owners of dogs that are a threat before an attack takes place.
And, in another key reform, the union wants all workers to be given full legal protections if they are attacked on private property while carrying out their duties.
Nagam Din, of solicitors Simpson Millar, represented the postwoman and advises a growing number of clients who have suffered dog bite attacks.
"We deal with hundreds of dog bite injury claims ever year and recently we have seen some particularly horrific cases with very tragic outcomes," said Ms Din, adding: "These cases could have been avoided if the owners had acted responsibly."
And Ms Din agrees with the CWU that legal changes are urgently needed. "A tightening of the rules governing animal ownership would be welcomed and highly appropriate given the number of injuries sustained each year," she said.
Source: CWU
