Not only are there people on his daily route, there are also 250 dogs on Scott Arnold’s U.S. Postal Service route, and every year, he gives each one a personalized Christmas stocking that has their name, dog treats and a note from Santa.
But for the first time in 25 years, Arnold thought he might have to skip it this year. He knew that the families in the 22101 Zip code area of McLean, Va., would have understood. Arnold, 66, lost his son, Jason, in May, just a few days shy of his 37th birthday.
Scott said that an outpouring of love and support from hundreds of his longtime customers helped pull him through a very difficult year. He wondered if he had the energy and mental capacity to do it this year, then he thought about how much his son loved dogs, and he knew he had to continue the tradition he calls “Santa Paws.”
He got all the materials to make 250 little personalized stockings, stuffed them with dog treats and a note from Santa. Each stocking had a dog’s name on it. Each stocking included that note from Santa, “Another Pawliday season is upon us, though this one is quite different than any other,” Arnold wrote. “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 mentioned those who had moved away (Molly, Rosie, Zeus, Monte), then paid tribute to all of the dogs who 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.
Scott Arnold concluded with, “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.”
Thank you Scott for this great story!
