Meter Readers Use Friendlier Dog Protection Device
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (January 16, 2003) – While it’s true that most dogs are man’s best friend, there are some dogs who pose a risk for those whose work takes them on other people’s property. Dealing with aggressive dogs or worse—dog attacks—are part of the business for workers such as meter readers.
Mace has been the tool of choice to prevent against dog bites and attacks in the past, but meter readers for Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation are using a friendlier yet equally effective device to protect themselves: the Bite Terminator.
“The Bite Terminator is basically a large umbrella-type device that’s carried in a bright yellow carrier on our belts,” said Tony Wheeler, supervisor of Utility Meter Service, Inc. (UMS), which provides Blue Ridge Electric with meter reading services.
Wheeler says meter readers encounter several “close calls” each week and an occasional serious bite. “We’ve tested the Bite Terminator and so far it has worked very effectively and humanely. For so long in our industry, there has been no other effective choice besides mace to fend off an attacking dog. We’re glad there’s finally an alternative that’s friendlier to dogs and protects our men and women out in the field.”
Blue Ridge Electric is not-for-profit cooperative utility serving over 64,000 consumer-members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany and Wilkes counties.
