The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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February 7, 2008

Rain, sleet, heat ... not dogs: Postal Service refuses to deliver mail because of canine threat

By Cass Rains Staff Writer

It may be a while before an Enid neighborhood gets its mail delivered after it was declared a “dog danger” zone by postal officials.

Enid resident Jack Cook, who lives in the 1700 block of North Kennedy, said he hasn’t gotten his mail for the past week because of dogs running loose in his neighborhood.

Cook said he’s gone to the Enid post office downtown to pick up his mail the past four days after his wife called and was told mail hadn’t been delivered because of the danger posed by dogs on the loose.

Cook said he was told the 1700 to 1900 block of North Kennedy had been considered a “dog danger zone” and therefore wouldn’t have its mail delivered until the problem was resolved. He said this caused a problem for people in the neighborhood who receive checks and medicines through the mail.

“The whole neighborhood is shook up about it,” Cook said.

Enid Postmaster Jeff Carroll confirmed the neighborhood is considered a dog danger zone.

“If we’ve got dogs running loose, it’s a threat,” he said. “We hold the mail until the issue can be resolved. We try not to avoid as many people as possible.”

Carroll said the post office can either try and resolve the problem with owners of the loose dog or change the delivery method of the mail, such as installing a large box containing mailboxes for the neighborhood.

“Mail carriers are a prime target for dog at-tacks,” Carroll said. “We want to protect the safety of all of our carriers.”

Enid Animal Control Manager David Handley said animal control officers have issued two tickets for dog running loose to a pet owner in the 1600 block of North Kennedy.

“They ticketed one yesterday and ticketed them again today,” Handley said Thursday.

Carroll said there are “a couple of different dogs” causing problems for carriers in the area.

He said so far, there had been “no attacks yet” in the neighborhood.

“We’re not going to wait for that to happen,” he added.

Carroll said he hoped to have the issue resolved, either by working with dog owners or installing a larger neighborhood box in about two weeks.

Meanwhile, Cook said he has picked up his mail and some mail for a neighbor unable to get out of her house. He and his wife still walk the neighborhood with their dachshund, he said.

“We’re not afraid.”

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