Incident involving "several dogs" halts Canada Post service on Prince Rupert street

Mail carrier services on Seventh Avenue West have been halted due to “an incident involving several dogs”, according to Canada Post officials.

On May 24, mail delivery was temporarily suspended to several addresses on that street and residents have been picking up their mail at the Prince Rupert Post Office since the date of the incident, Nicole Lecompte, media relations for Canada Post, confirmed in an email.

Canada Post carriers in Prince Rupert said that one of the dogs in question bit their co-worker while out on delivery, although Canada Post officials have not confirmed the exact details of the incident or breed of dogs.

“I can confirm that there was an incident involving several dogs on May 24 on Seventh Avenue West in Prince Rupert, which made it unsafe for our delivery agents to deliver the mail. Canada Post is working to resume normal and safe delivery as quickly as possible,” said Lecompte.

She then added that dog owners can help carriers safely deliver letters and parcels by keeping their dogs secure and at a safe distance from their drop-off location.

The City of Prince Rupert “was informed of the issue with respect to an at-large dog and has taken action to correct the situation,” said Veronika Stewart, communications manager at City Hall.

Stewart also said the City could not provide further details on the course of action as they do not generally provide information about bylaw enforcement actions taken against private citizens in consideration of their privacy.

According to the City’s bylaws, “no owner of an animal shall permit the animal to be at-large in the City or to trespass on any private property.” The first offence for a dog at-large can result in an $85 fine and owners who failed to licence their dog will receive a $55 fine on first offence.

The city also has a list of restricted dogs which includes pit bulls, pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, as well as several other breeds of dogs.

“An estimated 41 per cent of Canadian households have dogs. Most of the time, dogs are not a problem. However, when there is a safety concern, we work with the dog owner to guarantee a safe environment. Until then, mail delivery may be interrupted. Many of our delivery agents are dog lovers and dog owners, but they can still experience dog-related injuries,” Lecompte said.

Lecompte also added that Canada Post had developed a short video to raise awareness on this issue which many carriers face during delivery.

Jenna Cocullo | Journalist

Jenna Cocullo