Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions and images of injuries

A postal worker whose finger was bitten off while doing her rounds has backed calls for dog owners to be more responsible.

Last week, it was revealed that Sheffield has the highest rate of dog attacks on postal workers in the UK.

And the Blue Cross has launched a campaign to stand alongside posties to ensure dog owners understand the devastating impact attacks can have.

Sarah King, 50, a postal worker covering Rotherham area living in Barnsley, was attacked by a Rottweiler and Shar-Pei crossbreed four years ago – and lost her finger permanently.

She said: “There we’re no signs of a dog at the property. I’d just lifted the lid of the letter box thinking I’d get some protection from the bristles but I hadn’t. My hand went into the dog’s mouth. It was a clean bite.

“I went to knock back on the door and I said your dog bit me, my finger is in your house somewhere. The dog bit me to my bone and sucked the flesh out.”

Mrs King said she was so shocked she didn’t even notice the finger was severed and still in the dog’s mouth until she looked down.

The toll was not only physical but also mental.

She said: “I was embarrassed having such an obvious injury. It changed the person I was, my confidence. I hit rock bottom and I’ve had to climb myself back up”

She said she suffered severe PTSD in the aftermath of the incident.

The dog owner plead not guilty up until the day of trial. He received a six months custodial sentence suspended for 12 months.

Warning – if you choose to scroll down there are graphic images of Mrs King’s injuries below.

The outcome was disappointing for Mrs King.

She said: “As a victim, I wanted him to take accountability.”

Andrew Kipling, 59, a postal worker and a Communication Workers Union (CWU) Area Health and Safety Representative for South Yorkshire and District Amalgamated Branch, living in Sheffield, revealed as of April 2025, 2,197 dog attacks have been reported nationally, with a 42 average each week.

He shared his encounter with a Yorkshire Terrier. As he was doing his rounds an elderly couple told him to go through the gate, saying the dog was harmless.

He said: “I have to say, for a small dog, it was extremely painful. It was like having syringes stuck at the back of your leg.”

Royal Mail offers private prosecutions and a dog bite compensation scheme for their posties.

He added: “Its important that the public realise that neither Royal Mail or CWU are anti-dogs. Many of our people are dog owners. All we’re asking for is responsible dog ownership.”

Helen Spicer, 53, a Blue Cross Education Officer from the North East, said the uprise of postie attacks stemmed from an increased number of dogs nationally.

She added: “Before the pandemic, the UK Pet Food manufactures estimated that we have a population of nine million dogs in the county, at the moment they estimate a population of 13.5 million.

“We want dog owners to know that they are not alone, that we’re here to help, we’re not judging.”

To learn more about the protection of workers and gain practical advice, you can sign up to the Blue Cross online webinar, ‘Protecting Your Posties’ via the link Protecting your Postie | Blue Cross.