If You Spot This Sticker on Your Mailbox in Indiana, Leave it Alone
Paw print stickers are popping up in neighborhoods all across America including Indiana. You best leave them alone if you happen to spot one.
Last night, I was driving around trying to find someone's house to pick something up. After missing my turn, I turned around in a driveway and I noticed a sticker on a mailbox that I had heard about but never saw in Indiana, until last night. It was an orange sticker that had a paw print on it. So what's the deal with those stickers? Let's dive into that!
What's Up With the Paw Print Stickers on Indiana Mailboxes?
A few years back, the United States Postal Service (USPS) launched the Dog Paw program to raise awareness for our Letter Carriers and customers regarding the risk of dog bites throughout their workday. As you know, the mail carrier has a history of being a dog's arch nemesis...not sure why, but that's always been the story. The number of mail carriers that have been bitten by dogs has become staggering over 4,000 mail carriers have been bitten or attacked by a dog this year and over 5,000 last year.
So, this program was launched to help mail carriers identify both the home of a dog that makes them feel threatened, as well as the house before said dog's home. The Dog Paw program involves using color-coded stickers on mailboxes to better prepare the Letter Carriers as they approach the mailbox. An orange sticker tells carriers that there is a dog at this home and the yellow cautions the carrier that there is a dog at the next house. In addition to the brightly colored paw sticker, a postcard explaining the USPS Paws Program will be delivered to your home.
It should go without saying, if one of these stickers is on your mailbox, you should leave it on there. This sticker system is still being used in some areas, but it seems like it has begun to phase out recently. According to the USPS:
Letter carriers have tools to alert them to dogs on their routes. A dog alert feature on carriers’ handheld scanners can remind them of a possible dog hazard, and dog warning cards must be used during mail sorting to alert carriers to addresses where a dog may interfere with delivery.
The Consequences of Your Dog Bitting a Mail Carrier
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.
That's a lot of things that you don't want to have to deal with, nor does your mail carrier. To help avoid that, if your dog is aggressive and has issues with the mail carrier, keep the dog(s):
- 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.