If You Spot a Paw Sticker on a Mailbox in Arkansas Leave it Alone

Paw print stickers are popping up in neighborhoods all across America including  Arkansas. You best leave them alone if you happen to spot one.

What Does It Mean?

To help keep the United States Postal Service mail carriers safe, the USPS has created a program called the Dog Paw Program that uses a color-coded system to alert carriers which houses may have dogs or dogs nearby for those carriers unfamiliar with the neighborhood. In some cases, if a mail carrier feels threatened by a dog he or she may not deliver the mail to the recipient's home for fear of being bitten.

"An orange sticker indicates that a dog is living in the home while a yellow sticker alerts the carrier that a dog is living nearby."

Keep in mind the mail carrier will not put a sticker on a mailbox without the approval of the homeowner who the USPS notifies by sending out notification cards that ask if it's okay to put a sticker on your mailbox. You will also receive information about the Dog Paw Program.

The Reason

The purpose of the paw sticker is to bring awareness and cut down on the number of mail carriers that are being bitten each year by a dog while delivering the mail. The numbers have become staggering over 4,000 mail carriers have been bitten or attacked by a dog this year and over 5,000 last year.

The Consequences

According to the latest Insurance statistics, the cost per claim for a dog bite could average $64, 555 if a postal worker suffers an injury, the owner may be responsible for medical, lost wages, and uniform replacement costs.

When a letter carrier comes to your home, keep dogs:

• Inside the house or behind a fence;
• Away from the door or in another room; or
• On a leash.

So, if you see a paw sticker on a mailbox in your neighborhood just leave it alone and know that your community is working together with the USPS to better serve the community and helping to keep mail carriers safe.

This program has been going on for several years now here are a couple of places in the United States.