Home delivery stopped after dog-bite incident

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steven Cook

The U.S. Postal Service has stopped home delivery to the street where a postal carrier was attacked by two dogs this week, a spokeswoman said. Instead, residents on Bluff Avenue must now pick up their mail at the Altamont Avenue post office.

Postal service officials are to meet today with city officials on a long-term solution for the residents there, spokeswoman Maureen Marion said.

That solution may be a “cluster box,” where mail for the residents of the short street would be put.

“It’s not our first choice,” Marion said. “Our first choice is to continue to deliver. But our responsibility is to the safety of our carriers.”

The mail carrier was attacked just after 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the area of 623 Bluff Ave. Marion described the injuries as puncture wounds. The carrier is expected to be out at least a couple of days. She declined to identify the carrier, citing privacy rules.

The dogs that chased the carrier Tuesday were not seized by police or surrendered, but returned to the owner, police confirmed. Their owner was identified as Amanda Radley, 21, of Bluff Avenue. She was issued four tickets, two accusing her of having a loose dog, the other two with having a dangerous dog.

Tuesday’s attack came eight days after city resident Shirleen Lucas was attacked by three pit bulls as she was running errands early Aug. 22 on Hulett Street. Lucas required nearly 200 stitches to close injuries that ran nearly from head to toe.

The dogs in Lucas’ attack were surrendered to authorities and destroyed. The owner was also cited.

Marion said carriers are bitten an estimated 3,000 times a year, nationwide. They’re also the third most likely group to be bitten, behind children and the elderly.