A Christchurch man delivering food for Uber Eats was injured after being attacked by a dog while following instructions provided by a customer on the app.

The incident happened on April 13th, when the man arrived at a residential property on Riley Crescent in Woolston to complete a delivery.

According to his partner, who filed a formal complaint with Uber Eats, the customer’s instructions stated that the gate and door would be open and that the delivery driver should “meet at the door.”

Despite noticing a warning sign about dogs on the premises, the driver proceeded towards the house, trusting the delivery notes and seeing no dogs in sight.

As he approached the front door, two large Labradors unexpectedly rushed out. One of the dogs bit him before he had a chance to react.

Fearing that running might provoke a further attack, he froze in place.

His partner said the dog’s owner made no attempt to restrain the animals.

“After the dog bit him, the owner simply took the food and went back inside. He didn’t apologise or offer any help. My partner was left outside bleeding, in shock and pain,” she said.

The injury was severe enough to require multiple hospital visits.

The man has not been able to return to work and his partner said he is facing significant medical bills.

What made the situation more distressing, she said, was Uber Eats’ lack of timely support.

“We reported the attack immediately. But Uber didn’t get back to us until five days later. There’s been no offer of assistance or compensation for what he’s gone through.

He was simply doing his job and following the customer’s instructions.”

She said the emotional toll of the incident has been immense.

“A delivery driver should not be exposed to this kind of danger. The lack of urgency and care shown by Uber Eats is unacceptable.”

The couple are now calling on Uber Eats to take responsibility by offering compensation for lost income, medical expenses, and the trauma caused by the incident.

They said they had also submitted a report to the Christchurch City Council but had not heard back.

In a response to the couple’s complaint, Uber said “making sure our delivery people are safe, respected, and comfortable is important to us, and any incident that threatens that safety is one we take very seriously.

“We will be looking into this incident and re-evaluating if this user will continue to have access to the app.

“As part of Uber’s commitment to safety, we have a dedicated team that responds to requests for information from law enforcement and public health officials. This support is available everywhere we operate, 24 hours a day.

“Since your accident occurred in New Zealand, we expect you should be able to claim for certain medical expenses and related losses that are claimable by law, with the injury insurance scheme operated by the New Zealand Government ACC will be available to each person injured in a car accident in New Zealand, whether they are a passenger or driver.”

The company also urged the couple to make a complaint with police.

A Christchurch City Council spokeswoman said Animal Management was notified on 13 April 2025 of a dog attack on an Uber driver and investigations for this case are ongoing.

A police spokesman said they haven’t been notified of any complaint.

Uber Eats did not respond to requests for comment.

Under the Dog Control Act 1996, if a dog attacks a person, the owner can face penalties including a Fine: Up to $3,000 upon conviction.