FedEx refusing service because of dogs?

[Misanthropia]

Hey everyone, I know there's plenty of avid dog lovers here on the forum, and while this case may be an isolated incident, I hope it provides a useful (and humorous) anecdote to all.

My mother runs her small business out of our home, and the companies she works with pay for her to ship things via FedEx, which she is doing almost every day of the week. We also have three dogs here, a Shih Tzu (14 pounds), a Japanese Chin (4 pounds), and a Westie/Pekingese mix (20 pounds), who like all small dogs love to bark at anything and everything they can. If someone comes near our front door, they have a fit that lasts a few minutes unless it's someone they recognize, in which then it's only about 30 seconds

Two days ago, my mother scheduled a pickup by FedEx from our house. She always leaves her packages on our front steps so that the courier can just pick up the package and leave without having to ring the door bell (no one is going to steal little vials full of charcoal that detect the presence of Radon in the air), which I think is something most couriers must appreciate. However, this time the FedEx courier refused to pick up the package, citing that he "felt uncomfortable and that his safety was in danger" because of our three dogs.

Let me rephrase this: Our three, TINY dogs, who were locked behind two doors, barked and scared this man enough that he felt endangered. Frankly, I think this is ridiculous. He didn't even have to open the door or anything, the package was sitting on porch, where he would not have to interact with our dogs. Nevertheless, this happened. My mother called FedEx a bit surprised at this development, and they stated that more or less there's nothing they can do if their couriers feel uncomfortable, even if it's a situation as ridiculous as this. If this guy becomes a regular on our route, we may have to switch services. Nevermind if I had to open the door and sign for a knife, that would be impossible!

I doubt this is really a recurring problem elsewhere, but I figured I would give everyone a heads up, especially to those with bigger dogs.

A picture of the monsters themselves Ooh, terrifying!

 

[Blade-fiend]

Im scared for my life just looking at the picture of those Lil demons I also have a tiny dog (yorkie) and she is the toughest thing going....until you take a step closer then she cowers in fear hahaha.

 

[Krav]

I have had problems with fed ex. Very poor service at best. I have had them on several occasions like yesterday, say the weather was to bad they couldn't deliver the package. It was 50 degrees outside, sunny no clouds. Any of the 2 inches of snow we had, was all melted,the package was on the truck, was already a day late. I stayed home all day to get this message at 5:36 p.m. Now I'm sitting here again waiting.

In the past this sort of thing happened on at least 2 more occasions and I would drive 20 miles to the fed ex location and pick the package up myself. I never choose fed ex, it's always the sellers only option. This is out of maybe 6 times that I had to use there services . I think the drivers just do what ever they want.

 

[RevDevil]

With outfits like that, do you blame the driver? LOL!
In some cases, drivers are allowed to their own discretion to refuse delivery when an animal is unrestrained in a yard. I would not want to get bitten. I did some computer work for a client last year, she had a Boston Terrier, this dog would sneak up behind you and literally try to chomp on your legs as you sat at the desk. When you looked to see what happened, it would start growling and barking then run away.

 

[Portman30-06]

Ive heard stories about this happening with USPS. This one is a little extreme since they're inside but definitely happens.

 

[Misanthropia]

With outfits like that, do you blame the driver? LOL!
In some cases, drivers are allowed to their own discretion to refuse delivery when an animal is unrestrained in a yard. I would not want to get bitten. I did some computer work for a client last year, she had a Boston Terrier, this dog would sneak up behind you and literally try to chomp on your legs as you sat at the desk. When you looked to see what happened, it would start growling and barking then run away.

You can see how pissed they look having to wear those ridiculous coats. Let me emphasize: totally not my decision on those

I totally agree that if an animal is loose, it's entirely reasonable to refuse service. There may legitimately be some danger in that situation. It just amazes me that the dogs were very obviously inside (we have big bay window they like to look out of) and the package was quite obviously outside. To even see the dogs, the FedEx guy would have had to come within just a few feet of the package.

 

[JDieseljoe69]

If my dog is out on the lead my USPS mail carrier will give her biscuits to distract her, when UPS and Fed Ex has delivered when she is out, they approach slowly. I think the above situation is a tad bit extreme! But there are plenty of people who are deathly afraid of dogs!!

 

[Chris Pierce]

I haven't had issues with fed ex, but usps and ups have both failed to come to my front door on many occasions since I moved in October. So if I'm expecting a package I have to just go to the post office. Often the carrier won't even leave a note. Not due to dogs, but due to sheer laziness. I have 35 steps leading from my door to the road surface. I keep them shoveled and salted. But the carriers are just so dangled lazy.
I feel your pain.

 

[Rubicon_Joey]

I had an uncle who was a meter reader for a while who was bit by a chihuahua. What I gathered from his experiences is that it's not he was really scared of the dog but the repercussions of harming the dog if he tried to defend himself. Put yourself in the the situation....Small dog comes out of the house and tries to/does bite you. Your first instinct is probably to pull your foot back and punt the mutt. Punting said mutt will probably result in a large amount of physical harm to the dog which wouldn't be easy to explain to a supervisor who is now dealing with being sued because you harmed someones precious baby who would never hurt any one. Had it been a larger more aggressive looking dog your situation would be a lot easier to defend. Instead you just look like a dog hating maniac who punted someones precious little dog just because you felt like it.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

When I was a jumper on the UPS truck, my driver and I had to deliver packages every day to a home with a radio dog fence and three very large, very vocal German shepherds. Let me rephrase that, since I was the jumper, I had to deliver packages, while he waited in the truck.

After a while they grew to like me, I found out my driver had a sense of humor, and he got along with the pups after giving them each a biscuit every day. They were probably pissed I didn't have any treats .

 

[Esav Benyamin]

As a post office manager, I shut down delivery to people for dogs, steps, and syringes in the mailboxes.

One carrier was putting mail in the boxes in a building lobby when a tenant came out with his dog, walked past him, and the dog bit him. The carrier was upset because he didn't want the dog (or tenant) in trouble. He knew them and they were all friends. Dumb dog just got nippy that once.

Steps can be a problem, it's not letter carriers being lazy. Some of the old buildings in NYC have steps that are so old they are dished from years of traffic. In wet or icy weather, it's hard not to slip.

35 steps? I would have told you to put a mailbox at the foot of those steps.

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

out here in the boonies, everyone goes the extra mile. Some drivers even leave dog biscuits.

 

[dkb45]

My god, just look at those monsters! They have learned to wear clothes!

I have never had FedEx refuse a delivery when my 120 pound chocolate lab is outside barking. They just go to the front door instead of the garage and he can't reach. The UPS guy even throws my dog cookies

 

[Joe Duder]

Can't say I blame him. Delivering to a house with dogs barking like crazy or not barking for that matter, could be a sticky situation. The fedex guy/gal doesn't know that there isn't a bigger, silent, more vicious dog waiting for him/her to get closer. Even if they're behind a door, who's to say the recipient of the package isn't going to open the door to grab the package personally and accidentally let his dogs (big or small) out.

Perhaps putting your dogs in the backyard when you anticipate a delivery and a warm, thankful greeting, handshake and discussion would remedy this issue. But even then, it's been my experience, that SOME people that try to explain to others that their dogs are harmless and that they (the owners) have control of them- put their dogs on pedestals and really don't have control of their dogs, nor do they possess the willingness to be respectful dog owners. I'm not saying that the OP is one of those owners, his dogs are probably harmless. But nobody knows that for sure and when it comes to workmans comp injuries, it's better/easier to just skip the house and save an injury or possible lawsuit and unemployment.

 

[leghog]

My Dad once had a West Highland White Terrier that was one of the meanest dogs I ever met. This after decades of Basset Hounds. That Westie just wasn't right. Since then I give Westies a wide berth. You don't know the FEDEX driver's previous experiences.

 

[markksr]

My Lilly resents your implications of the harmlessness of small dogs. She says she is going to lick the heck out of your ankle if she ever sees you in person!

 

[d.r.h.]

Hmmmm, frightening! Then again, maybe he thought he was going to be mugged by the dogs. We had a Yorkie long ago that was just in love with money.

 

[Joe Duder]

Hmmmm, frightening! Then again, maybe he thought he was going to be mugged by the dogs. We had a Yorkie long ago that was just in love with money.

My lab loves money. My brother spent the night at my house one night. While he was sleeping, Ladybird (my lab) went into the room, unfolded his pants, took his wallet out, and chewed a $20 bill. We went out for breakfast the next day and when it came time to pay, my brother said "Dude, Ladybird is paying for my breakfast." That $20 was worth a good laugh. Sorry no pics, but it did happen.

I'm a dog lover.

 

[vonrichthofen54]

I own a 115 lb. Rottweiler, and while she's been extensively trained and socialized, she's still a Rottweiler and is very protective by nature. That being said, she is really a gentle giant, but she does bark occasionally especially when someone comes in "her" yard. My wife works from home, and is in the house alone with her all day. She gets quite a few deliveries via UPS and FedEx. Tessie goes nuts when they pull up in the driveway, but only because she has to go out and see them to collect her dog biscuit. She loves those guys and they really are fond of her too, but that would change rapidly should they try to come in the house. We instructed them on how to deal with her when they come and they were very appreciative of that. So no problems here with mail or package deliveries.

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[liamstrain]

Only dogs that have ever bitten me were a bunch of Scottish terriers. Some people are just uncomfortable with any dogs at all (at any size) - culturally either don't understand them as pets, or have a childhood phobia, or whatever.

It may seem ridiculous to us, but I don't think you can really fault a driver from deciding not to deal with a situation where they felt uncomfortable.