What was supposed to be a 60th birthday present to herself has turned into a "distressing" ordeal for an Alabama woman who received a delivery of dead birds.

A United States Post Office

The United States Postal Service delivered six dead canaries in a smashed box to Rhonda King, at her hair salon, Above A Cut at Rhonda's. The salon is located in Grant, a northeast Alabama town in Marshall County with fewer than 1,000 residents.

"When my postmaster got there he told me, 'Well, your birds arrived, but they're not alive,'" King told Al.com. "This happened right in front of my clients. I was handed this box with tire tracks on it and bird carnage hanging out."

King paid a seller in Texas $600 for eight birds and an additional $100 to have them shipped. The box was supposed to ship on Dec. 5, King's 60th birthday, and arrive the following day. But, three days later, the smashed package arrived, missing two of the birds.

USPS plans to reimburse King the money she spent on the birds and shipping, or to replace the birds, said Debbie Fetterly, communications programs specialist for the Postal Service's Alabama and south Florida districts. The Service also will apologize to King, Fetterly said.

But, King said no one from USPS had contacted her as of Thursday evening.

"I'm not trying to target the Postal Service," King said. "But, I'm distressed. Accidents happen, but in this case, there's been no accountability. These birds were in an approved box with wires to let them breathe, then it shows up at my business smashed."

King said she spoke with representatives of her local post office, then she was directed to Birmingham. From there, she contacted a post office in Houston. But, she's yet to get an explanation about how the birds died.

"I just wanted these birds for a happy lifestyle," King said. "Their singing is so beautiful, and I wanted that in my home."

Update:

