Moose Jaw Express carriers works hard to deliver our publication on time in an efficient and timely manner. Every week our paper is distributed to over 22,000, including home delivery in Moose Jaw and newspaper box outlets in approximately 68 communities within our region.
This means that our delivery team, as well as postal delivery and other delivery personnel are stepping onto your property to do their jobs. We want to do everything we can to ensure their safety so we are reminding residents of Moose Jaw to make sure their dogs are away from the door when expecting a delivery of any kind.
The threat of dog-related incidents for delivery workers seems to rise in the spring and summer as the weather gets warmer, and families are more likely to be home.
Thankfully, dog owners in Moose Jaw are already great when it comes to putting their dogs away when expecting a delivery, although there are edge cases of dogs being tethered in the front yard causing problems for some deliverers.
“Most of the time when we are delivering, the dog is already in the backyard, so dogs don’t affect us too much. We have had incidents in the past where we couldn’t deliver to a house because there was a big dog in the front yard; in those cases, we just don’t deliver to those houses,” says Dianne Hobbins, Moose Jaw Express circulation manager.
If your dog is in the front yard and seems threatening, there’s a high likelihood that you won’t receive your paper. The best solution is to keep your dog in the backyard or away from the front door.
An estimated 36 per cent of households have dogs, according to 2021 data, which makes it impossible for delivery workers to know how every dog will react when they approach a house to make a delivery. Dog incidents can go from threatening barks to attacks and bites.
Dogs are loyal and territorial animals, and as much as we love our canine companions their protectiveness can cause issues if not handled carefully.
Canada Post has released a reminder to Saskatchewan dog owners, as their delivery workers also deal with dogs daily. They want to ensure that their employees have safe access to mailboxes and the front door while delivering packages.
A Canada Post reminder says, “Do not open the door during deliveries or allow your dog to approach our employees while they are out in the community. A way to prevent your dog from approaching our employees is to keep them in another room at the time of the delivery. Our delivery agents also see dogs wandering in neighbourhoods, which can cause further anxiety. Please make sure your dog is restrained and is not roaming free.”
