TOLEDO, Ohio — Editor's note: The story has been updated to include a statement that WTOL 11 received from the U.S. Postal Service.
Residents of a west Toledo neighborhood haven't been delivered their mail in months. They say the post office told them it was because of a vicious dog in the area.
I'm desperate," said resident Ann Colleen Krebser. "I just want to get my mail so I can take care of my business."
Krebser, 88, has lived on Almeda Drive, which runs from West Sylvania Avenue to Hillcrest Avenue, for over 50 years. She is unable to drive and deals with several medical issues. She says her mail hasn't been delivered to her home for over two months.
"I wasn't getting my mail, and it was five days," Krebser said. "Finally, I had somebody go down there and to check it out and that's when I found out about the dog bite."
According to the Toledo Police Department, there has been no report of a dog bite in the area recently, but other neighbors say the post office said delivery service was stopped due to a report of a "vicious dog."
"It's a real inconvenience," said resident Danille Cox. "My boyfriend doesn't get off work until 5 (p.m.). Sometimes I don't get out of school until 4:30 p.m., a quarter to 5, don't make it to the post office. So, we don't get our mail for two or three days to a week at a time until we can actually get a chance to get it, instead of it being brought to our house."
Krebser said the lack of delivery makes it difficult for her to obtain important mail.
"Last week, I needed something for my insurance and they stated, 'We haven't heard from you. Did you receive our mail?' she said. "I said, 'I can't get to our mail because they are holding the mail."
The U.S. Postal Service sent WTOL 11 the following statement:
"Aggressive and unrestrained animals are a serious issue. One bite can cause a serious injury; they are painful, yet they can be prevented. Due to an unrestrained dog on this street, mail delivery was initially suspended on July 5th. Management did attempt to resume delivery, however after the third incident, mail was suspended again. Management has been in communication with the owner about the safety issue and has asked them to restrain the dog. In the interim, management is working on installing a cluster box unit at the cul-de-sac so the carrier can resume delivery.
Dog owners are responsible for controlling their dogs. The best way to keep everyone safe from dog bites is to recognize and promote responsible pet ownership. Most people know the approximate time their letter carrier arrives every day and having their dog secured as the carrier approaches their property for delivery will minimize any dog carrier interactions."
The USPS said the cluster box unit will be located on Hillcrest Avenue at Almeda Drive.