Mail service suspended after dog bite

STURGIS, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – Mail carriers in St. Joseph County are saying it's just too dangerous to deliver the mail to one neighborhood in Sturgis. They say they're coming under attack by vicious dogs.

Recently, one mail carrier had surgery on her hand after she says a pit bull attacked her on the 100 block of West Congress Street. That dog is still there, but under quarantine in its owner's home.

People living on that street in Sturgis are not currently getting their mail. The post office has stopped delivery after one of their carriers was attacked by a dog. However, like many other things, there are two sides to this story.

Newschannel 3 met Cato on Tuesday, he's the dog the post office says attacked one of their own. While Cato didn't seem to happy to see us, he certainly didn't lunge at us either. Cato, however, is the reason mail is no longer being delivered on part of West Congress Street.

“People now that are not involved with it all, that are innocent people, they're having to suffer because they have to come to the post office to pick up their mail now,” said Tom Picker, supervisor at the Sturgis Post Office.

The Sturgis Post Office says mail won't resume anytime soon, since Cato sent one of their own to the hospital. Mail is being delivered in the area, but not on West Congress.

“With the show of aggression those dogs had, they did leave their own yard and attack, the attack didn't happen in their yard,” said Picker, “so we just don't feel safe having a mail carrier anywhere in the neighborhood.”

Cato's owner, Kipp Vanzile, says the family is being singled out, and that they've been responsible pet owners, even putting a shock collar on Cato to keep him in line. While they regret what's happening, they see their treatment as unfair to their neighbors.

One neighbor says she's never had a problem.

“The dog used to come over here when it was little and stuff and I never had a problem with it,” said Elizabeth Montoya, who lives on West Congress.

Still, Cato was put in quarantine and the postal service wants action.

“We will not reestablish delivery until the dog's out of the house,” said Picker.

The Vanzile's say they're not sure what they're going to next since they don't want to get rid of their dog. Mrs. Vanzile says she wants to publicly apologize that the incident ever happened.