Families in 13 Newfoundland and Labrador Housing units in St. John's won't be getting any mail until they clean up their mess.

Canada Post said it has suspended mail delivery for families that live in the row houses on Freshwater Road and Anderson Avenue because there is too much dog excrement on their walkways.

Some residents in the area, including Pam Manning, are not happy with the decision.

Manning owns a dog and said she lets him "go" on the nearby grass, but said she always picks up after him. She's appalled by Canada Post's stance.

"I was very shocked," Manning said. "I couldn't believe that Canada Post wouldn't deliver mail for that reason. I'm sure they run into that where ever they go, but why they're singling us out, I don't know."

But some nearby residents are siding with the mail carriers.

Bernice Dillon lives near the area and said she understands why the postal workers don't want to enter the dog minefield. She said she feels dog owners need to take more responsibility.

A hazard like ice or snow

"[Newfoundland and Labrador Housing] should tell the people that ... don't clean up after their dogs that they should either get rid of the dog or get out," Dillon said.

Newfoundland and Labrador Housing sent letters to residents March 16 saying Canada Post had informed it that letter carriers would no longer be delivering mail to the houses "due to dog feces" around the property. The letter asked each resident to clean the area around their door and added that "more serious" action would be taken if the problem continued.

Geneviève Latour, a spokesperson for Canada Post, said the dog excrement on grass, walkways and doorsteps is a hazard for mail carriers, adding it can be just as dangerous as ice or snow.

"This situation presents risk of slips and falls and it's a situation where we can decide not to deliver mail."