A spray to deter dogs is being rolled out to Australia Post delivery workers from this month as a last line of defence to reduce an “alarming” surge in dog attacks.
The spray is a “non-harmful, water-based citronella spray,” Australia Post said.
“When deployed, the deterrent temporarily distracts the dog, giving the postie crucial moments to move to safety and call the owner for help,” the postal service said.
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Nine posties a day are terrorised by dogs on the job, with 1150 dog-related incidents reported in the past six months alone.
Those range from physical and attempted attacks, to chasing and harassing.
Such incidents are flagged in the handheld devices posties carry, with 35,000 active dog-related hazards currently on the system.
That is a 20 per cent uptick since November.
West Australia postie Bronwyn Adamson was attacked by a dog while walking to a front door to deliver a parcel that required a signature.
“A dog escaped from behind a gate and bit me on my breast, leaving a puncture wound and severe bruising which developed into a golf ball-sized haematoma,” she said.
Adamson said she was now always nervousness around dogs, despite having previously been very comfortable with them.
“I was a veterinarian nurse for 17 years and have adopted rescue dogs with traumatised pasts,” she said.
“As a postie, I am more nervous around dogs than ever before.”
She said the new citronella spray will give her “peace of mind” on the job.
“I’ll feel safer knowing I have something that could protect me from another attack,” Adamson said.
All workers will be equipped with the spray by the end of July, with the rollout in “high-risk” regions first.
“The program will then be extended to Parcel Delivery Drivers, and all team members will be trained on how to use the spray safely and only as a last resort,” Australia Post said.
Aggressive dog hotspots
Australia Post first trialled the spray, which is already in use internationally, in suburbs where posties had reported the most dog attacks.
While 57 per cent of reported dog attacks occur on the street, with 39 per cent of those involving roaming dogs, almost 40 per cent of attacks occur on customers’ properties.
Half of those take place when a front door is opened for a parcel delivery, according to Australia Post data.
“Moree in NSW is one of many hotspots where the number of roaming and unrestrained dogs has created dangerous conditions for our posties,” Australia Post general manager of safety Russell Munro said.
“We’ve identified a safe citronella spray deterrent that has proven largely effective in de-escalating incidents.”
The spray was 80 per cent effective in causing dogs to retreat, Australia Post said.
“When our people continue to end up in hospital, we have a responsibility to act and this is a last resort measure,” Munro said.
“The best way to avoid dog attacks is to ensure your dog is safely secured behind a locked door or gate when your postie arrives with your parcel.”
According to Australia Post, these are the number of dog incidents that posties have reported in each state and territory, and the worst-affected areas between 15 November 2024 and 15 May 2025.
- Queensland (388) – Darra, Bundamba, Toowoomba
- New South Wales (329) – Moree, Penrith, Waterloo
- Western Australia (184) – Joondalup, Geraldton, Malaga
- Victoria (138) – Oakleigh South, Mooroolbark, Deepdene and Mornington (equal third)
- South Australia (60) – Glynde, Lonsdale, Edinburgh North and Salisbury South (equal third)
- Tasmania (27) – Launceston, Burnie, Devonport and Hobart (equal third)
- Australian Capital Territory (17) – Canberra South, Mitchell, Tuggeranong
- Northern Territory (10) – Katherine, Palmerston, Darwin
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