Royal Mail’s Russell Gall, 38, was in the Perth Road area when the animal leapt out from behind a car and bit his left hand.
Now, Russell is asking for dog owners to be more aware of where their pets are to prevent more attacks on himself and colleagues.
Last month, the Tele revealed dog attacks on Tayside posties had increased by 70% in just two years, jumping from 20 in 2012/13 to 34 last year.
In the wake of the attack, Russell is asking dog owners around Tayside to make sure that, even if their dog is usually a friendly character, their pet is under controll in case their mood changes.
Russell, who has worked with Royal Mail for more than 15 years, said: “The dog owner in my case said that it was only a scratch I received and that I had made the wound worse myself.
“There was no sympathy or remorse whatsoever. Owners should be aware of their dog’s whereabouts and understand that during holiday periods it may not be the regular postman who is on delivery and allow a half-hour either way to the time they regularly receive their post.
“Owners must also understand that dogs can be friendly, however, they may just take a dislike to a postman, so be responsible at all times.”
Recalling the attack on him in April last year, Russell spoke of how he was trapped in a driveway when he was ambushed.
He said: “The address was situated in an open access area where there are a few other houses. There were a few cars parked, the dog was behind one of the cars out of sight. I was halfway down the drive when the dog ran from behind the car and attacked me. I was in no man’s land with no place to go — it was a wide open area.
“I was carrying a handful of mail and had nothing to protect me. There was no place to escape as the dog was quick and vicious.
“I was bitten on the left hand — the part between the thumb and forefinger. It was a bad bite. I was off work for two weeks as my wound became infected and had a course of antibiotics.”
(Evening Telegraph - Aug 19, 2015)
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