In the latest round of that ancient fight between man and beast that is the tense relationship mail carriers have with residents’ dogs, a Chihuahua (to be fair, a Chihuahua mix) is effectively holding one neighborhood hostage. The United States Postal Service says the local mail carrier can’t deliver mail to a block in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, because the little dog’s reign of terror makes it impossible to do so.

A spokesman with the USPS tells KCRG-TV that officials had no choice but to stop bringing the mail to the block over safety concerns for the carrier.

“The dog has interfered, on a number of occasions, with the delivery of the mail in that particular neighborhood,” said a spokesman.

The tiny pooch’s intimidation tactics have some residents ticked off after the Post Office sent them letters saying that the mail is on hold and they’ll have to pick it up instead, after the mail carrier said he saw the dog off the leash for a fifth time.

“It’s a bunch of poop. I think it’s got stamps on it and it says to deliver it, they should deliver it,” said one neighbor.

The owner of the dog says sometimes it gets out but usually stays inside and is friendly, calling it a “nice dog” that plays with his kids. But one of his neighbors disagrees.

“We got chased a couple times just bringing groceries into our house in our own driveway. And then, we called Animal Control at that point and they did come and seize the dogs because it did not have its vaccines up to date,” the neighbor said. “Two weeks later my five-year-old was bit in the leg in the back of our own yard.”

Mail delivery is on hold until Cujo (not his real name) is contained, the spokesman says.

“Once we know that the dog owner has taken responsibility and make sure that dog is not running free in that neighborhood, the mail delivery will continue,” he said.

Dog Causes Mail Delivery Holdup [KCRG.com]

Follow MBQ on Twitter where she will never suspend mail delivery: @marybethquirk

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