Dog Attacks Halt Mail Delivery for Some Manchester Residents

People in one Manchester neighborhood said they haven't gotten their mail in almost a week because of a dog.

Neighbors along a section of Campfield Road are installing mailboxes in front of their homes even though they already have one next to their doors.

"Until I install a mailbox on the side of the road, I guess I have to get my mail from the post office," said neighbor Michael Varni.

Neighbors said after realizing they were no longer receiving their mail, they drove to their local post office and found a notice with their mail. It said that due to, "repeated dog attacks and multiple dog bites to our letter carriers from a dog", at a home on Campfield Road, that the post office will only do curbside delivery for their section, "so our carriers no longer dismount out of the vehicle making them accessible to a dog attack."

Manchester-Dog-Bite-Mailman
NBC Connecticut

"I was pretty upset," said neighbor Allisyn Pentleton. "They told me it was a problem with my neighbor's dog."

The owners of that dog told NBC Connecticut that when the dog was a puppy it ran towards a mailman who kicked their pet and said since then, the animal has acted aggressively towards anyone in uniform.

About a year and a half ago, they say the dog bit a mailman but that it was only a "graze" and last week chased the mail truck. That's when the mail stopped coming.

"It does concern me that someone was bit and apparently maybe even more than once," said Varni.

One neighbor told NBC Connecticut that the dog chased after her once and another neighbor had to use the spray from a hose to keep the dog away, but others said the dog has never bothered them.

Everyone, including the owners, admits the dog escapes the home quite a bit.

"I've seen the dog a million times. The dog jumps on me, is really friendly, wants to lick my face, but now it's just kind of confusing about how to feel about it," said Pentleton.

Manchester police told us they have no knowledge of any incidents involving dog attacks in that location. NBC Connecticut has reached out to animal control and to the post office but have not heard back.

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