SAN DIEGO, May 12, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Millions of people receive dog bites in the United States every year. For San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) meter readers, dog bites can be a daily hazard.
"To ensure the safety of our employees, we ask our customers who own dogs to safely confine them behind a fence, wall or other reliable partition," said Pam Fair, vice president, Customer Operations.
SDG&E meter readers receive extensive training on how to avoid dog bites. "If meter readers believe there's an aggressive dog at a customer's home, then they won't enter the property unless they've confirmed with the customer that the dog is properly confined," Fair added.
Still, each year some SDG&E meter readers are bitten by dogs, and dozens more have close calls, Fair said. The number one cause is dogs making their way through improper confinements -- jumping over short fences, pushing open loose gates or doors, or breaking free from a customer's hold. The other major cause of dog bites is dogs running loose in the streets. Customers can prepare for meter reading visits ahead of time by looking on their bills, which show upcoming meter-reading dates.
"Customers often believe their dogs don't bite, but experts on dog behavior say that all dogs can and will bite under certain circumstances," Fair said.
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.3 million consumers through 1.3 million electric meters and more than 800,000 natural gas meters. The company's service territory encompasses 4,100 square miles in San Diego and southern Orange counties. Exceptional customer service is a priority of SDG&E as it seeks to enhance the region's quality of life. SDG&E is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE). Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company. To learn more, go to www.sdge.com.