Postal Service Temporarily Stops Mail Delivery Due To Loose Dogs In Metro Neighborhood

The United States Postal Service said it temporarily suspended mail delivery to an Oklahoma City neighborhood due to a group of loose dogs that had the potential to bite mail carriers. But residents said the agency never notified them about the suspension.

The USPS told News 9 it temporarily suspended mail delivery to homes on the 2800 and 2900 blocks of North Donnelly Avenue because of the loose dogs, a group of Chihuahuas.

When News 9 went to the neighborhood, one of the dogs was lying in the middle of the street. When News 9 checked on that dog to make sure it was okay, the dog woke up and joined the two other dogs in circling the reporter and barking. One of the dogs then bit the reporter's ankle.

The three dogs did not have collars or any form of identification. But they stayed close to a particular home on the 2800 block of North Donnelly Avenue. When News 9 knocked on the door of that home, a man inside denied ownership of the animals, claiming they are neighborhood dogs that roam the area.

Other neighbors, however, believe the dogs do belong to that particular home.

Regardless of who the actual owners are, the neighbors agreed that the USPS did not tell them about the temporary suspension of mail delivery.

"No notification in writing or a phone call, any way of telling us that you're not delivering the mail so that we were just out in limbo," said Russell Cox, who said he had not received mail for two weeks. "I'm still waiting for my tax returns for the personal business tax return. I still got some time but it's just the idea of not knowing. The tax man says he's mailing them. I'm checking the mail to look for it. I'm not getting any mail and all of a sudden, you find this out. It was frustrating."

"We were all in the dark about it," added Candice Palmer, who said she had not received mail for nearly three months. "My OG&E bill, my water bill, my gas bill, all three of those bills were being returned to the sender."

When asked about the temporary suspension of delivery, a USPS spokesperson sent News 9 the following statement:

“The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. Nationally, USPS reported there were 5,304 dog bites/incidents in calendar year 2022, with Oklahoma City ranked as number 20 on the list of cities with the most dog bite incidents with 16. If a letter carrier feels threatened by a vicious dog or if a dog is running loose, the owner may be asked to pick up the mail at the Post Office until the carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If the dog (or dogs) is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner’s neighbors may be asked to pick up their mail at the Post Office, as well. We consider this action on a case-by-case basis. If the Postal Service deems it necessary to temporarily suspend delivery, a letter will be sent to impacted customers indicating the status of delivery service. The reality is any dog can bite and postal management must take immediate action when there is any threat to our employees."

News 9 then asked the USPS spokesperson how the agency informed residents about the suspension of delivery, given that the six residents who spoke with News 9 all said they were never notified. 

As of Wednesday evening, News 9 had not heard back from USPS.

USPS said that affected residents could pick up their mail at the Farley location at 4025 W. Reno Ave., but Cox said when he tried to call the Postal Service to schedule a pickup, he had a tough time reaching anyone.

"Nobody answers that phone. I probably dialed 15 times in a row. I let it ring until it literally disconnected, just hung up on me," Cox said.

Palmer also said she called the Postal Service multiple times, but did not get answers.

USPS did sent out a letter to residents on Tuesday, apologizing for the inconvenience and said that mail delivery service has resumed, adding that "we will make every effort to continue regular delivery when it is safe to do so."