PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — A Pueblo family is hoping to get mail delivery restored to their home after it was stopped following a dog bite incident.
The viewer reached out to News5 after being told he could not resume mail delivery, even though the dog involved has since died.
According to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Pueblo is among the top five cities in Colorado for dog bites to postal workers. Colorado ranked 21 in the country, with 103 reported incidents.
Ron Robb loves his dogs. One of them, Koda, had lived with him for about 10 years. But even loving pets can be protective.
Robb says the incident happened when his wife saw the mail carrier approaching and planned to hand her a letter. That’s when Koda ran out the front door and bit the carrier.
The carrier notified the post office manager. The mail delivery to Robb's home was stopped.
“We were notified that we had to get a P.O. Box,” said Robb.
After Koda later passed away, Robb contacted the local post office, hoping service could resume. He says he was told no.
“Once there is a dog bite at that house, we can no longer have the service, whether you keep your dog or not,” said Robb.
News5 reached out to USPS for clarification on the policy.
The Postal Service says if a carrier feels unsafe, delivery can be suspended. Mail may be held at the local post office, and in some cases, customers may be required to obtain a P.O. Box.
Delivery can resume once the hazard is removed and both management and the carrier determine it is safe to do so. USPS also emphasizes that even dogs without a history of aggression can act unpredictably.
If dogs are present at a home where a bite has previously occurred, a carrier may still determine that the situation is unsafe.
“I can understand,” said Robb. “The last thing I want is to have another dog bite.”
After News5 media inquiry on Wednesday, USPS contacted us again. He says the post office is now willing to work with him, though what future delivery will look like remains unclear.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” said Robb. “We sure appreciate what you did, making a trip down to Pueblo.”
For now, Robb is hopeful that mail delivery to his home may soon be restored.
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