RAYTOWN, Mo. - Jason Simmons's mail delivery has been inconsistent for about a year. He says it's because of his mailman's fear of his dog, a German Shepard.
The loud bark of the dog appears to scare away mail carrier Charlie Fish. This scene was captured on home security camera.
"Yeah, he'll break through the window if he sees me and try and get me," the mailman said.
Simmons told 41 Action News he keeps his dog inside with the door shut.
Sometimes he will open the main door, but still have a glass door preventing his dog from getting outside.
But Fish still does not feel safe.
"At least once a week or so I don't get my mail because of my dog," said Simmons.
He said he doesn't quite understand why the mailman is so afraid.
But Fish said he has had trouble with other dogs in the neighborhood, which is why he carries dog spray when he delivers mail.
Fish said this street is the one he dreads the most, saying its the most stressful part of the day.
"I had to cut mail back there for a while," he said.
Fish says he's reported Simmons' German Shepard four different times for breaking through the glass door, we checked with the post office and Fish had reported the dog had broken through the door as recently as Tuesday.
But Simmons said his dog is not vicious and has never broken through the glass.
"He does bark. He is very loud and he's very protective of his house, but he's never bitten anybody," said Simmons.
Other people who live in the neighborhood, who own dogs, have also had issues getting their mail.
"She's friendly," said Ethel Cornell, about her dog. "She just don't like the mail man."
Across the street from Simmons, Jeremy Dboe said he's fed up with the situation.
"He's terrified of dogs and we hadn't gotten our mail for several days because of it," said Dboe.
The post office said they encourage their mail carriers to err on the side of caution. They also said they are aware of the situation and are working on a solution.
Fish said he's working on a solution of his own.
"I'm in the process of bidding for another route right now," said Fish.
Simmons says the post office told him he can either buy a P.O. box, a mailbox for the end of his driveway, or petition the neighborhood for a community mailbox at the end of their street.
Simmons said he doesn't think he should have to pay for any of those things.
