Letter carrier provides Christmas joy for 250 dogs
A letter carrier from Virginia proves he is ‘Santa Paws’ after delivering over 250 stockings to dogs on his mail round.
Scott Arnold, 66, has been providing personalised Christmas stockings for dogs for 25 years. The much loved tradition started in the 1990’s, when Arnold realised he had been asking each dog on his route, ‘what are you going to get for Christmas?’
Having started with 40 dogs, Arnold now delivers Christmas treats to over 250 dogs, and incredibly, Arnold knows of all of their names!
However, this year, it almost didn’t happen.
Christmas is cancelled?
Arnold, who has been a letter carrier for 38 years, lost his adult son, Jason, in May, just days before his 37th birthday. This tragic event almost deterred Arnold from his tradition of handing out Christmas stockings for dogs in the 22101 ZIP code area of McLean, Va.
Arnold said “It’s been an exhausting year and the holidays are especially difficult.” However, it was Arnold’s late son who loved dogs and his daughter’s Labrador Cash, who recently died of cancer, that made him realise that he must continue the tradition he calls, ‘Santa Paws.’
“I decided that doing the stockings this year would be a good distraction from the sadness and would be a nice way to honor Jason and Cash,” said Arnold.
Rahul Ravi, a local resident, was stunned that Arnold decided to carry on his “Santa Paws” tradition, even after the death of his son.
“He decided to [make the stockings] anyway, because he remembered how much his son loved dogs,” he said. “He wanted to carry on bringing hope to families even in this horrible year.”
The Santa Paws workshop
So how does one single letter carrier deliver to 250 dogs?
In November, Arnold got hold of more than 250 miniature Christmas stockings and personalised each one with the dog's names. Each dog he has come to know on his regular mail route.
Arnold stuffs each stocking with dog treats, then adds a few extras: photos of his dog, Milo, and his grandsons – Jackson, 8, and Luke, 6 – and a special Christmas newsletter.
The letter reads:
“Another Pawliday season is upon us, though this one is quite different than any other. We will begin, as always, welcoming the new members of our ever-growing pack.”
After listing all of the new dogs in the neighborhood (Teddy, Daisy, Biscuit, Lula, etc.), he mentions those that had moved away (Molly, Rosie, Zeus, Monte), then paid tribute to all of the dogs that had crossed the “Rainbow Bridge.”
“A really rough year,” Arnold wrote after listing 18 names, including those of Luna, Max, Bubba and Saint. “Let’s offer a moment of bark-free silence in their memory.”
On the other side of the letter, he thanked the people on his route for their support and kindness during the worst year he could remember.
“The outpouring of caring and compassion from all was incredible and appreciated,” Arnold wrote. “It helped so much, and continues to help.”
“I’m so glad that I didn’t deprive the families and their dogs,” he said. “They look forward to the socks every year. We’re all feeling overwhelmed because of the pandemic and this was something positive I could do.”
Rahul Ravi said he was touched by the note Arnold left in the stockings this year along with treats for his dogs, Loki and Finnegan.
“It was a letter so poignant, it made my wife cry,” he said.
Gifts are not just for Christmas
Scott is not just here for residents dogs at Christmas, but provides joy all year round too, much to the residents delight.
“Scott is one of a kind,” said Ofelia Fernandez, 71. “If he has to deliver a package by your front door, he leaves a dog Milk-Bone on top of it.”
Michele Peterson, 62, said she never knew her mail carrier before she moved to Arnold’s delivery route.
“Scott immediately introduced himself to me and wanted to know our dogs’ names,” she said. “For all of my dogs over the years, he’s been their favorite person. If we’re out walking on the street, he’ll throw them some bones.”
So when will the dog loving letter carrier retire and hang up his mail bag?
“As I get older, I hate the cold and working in the snow,” he said. “Will this year be the last? I don’t know. It’s a tough call. The people on my route are like family. And I guess it goes without saying – so are the dogs.”
This story was originally published at www.washingtonpost.com
