The Owensboro USPS on Wednesday introduced the PAWS Program, an initiative designed to help reduce the number carriers that are bitten by dogs. During the program announcement, roughly 85% of local mail carriers said they have been attacked by a dog while on the job.
The program will give residents the opportunity to place stickers on their mailboxes to warn others of the presence of a dog in the neighborhood. A yellow sticker indicates that a dog lives next door, while an orange sticker indicates a dog lives on the property.
The program could also help make food delivery personnel, firefighters, police officers and bystanders aware of dogs in the area and allow them more time to prepare in the case of a possible attack.
However, the PAWS Program is not designed to scare anyone or to place all dogs in a bad light. It’s simply an awareness tool, according to Kentucky-Indiana District Safety Manager Alan Lewis.
“It’s designed to add another layer of awareness to those out in the street,” he said.
Though dog attacks on mail carriers have decreased slightly over the last two years, two serious accidents in the last year put USPS employees in the hospital. Sixty dog bites in the district have been recorded this year, Lewis said.
Mail carriers are trained to carry dog spray in their satchel, but not all dogs respond to the substance.
As long as residents gave the OK, mail carriers were able to place yellow and orange stickers on appropriate mailboxes starting Wednesday.
“Every dog has their own way; usually it’s a stare they give you if they’re feeling aggressive, but it could be friendly and still attack,” said Owensboro Police Department K-9 Officer Michael Sanner. “It is a game for them. You and I — we’re going to their house. That’s what they’re trained to protect.”
The PAWS Program wasn’t set up to judge dogs, nor the owners of those dogs, Sanner said.
Officials said local residents have responded well to the PAWS Program so far, but they said a few had declined to place stickers on their mailboxes.
