Gas Company Offers Tips During National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 21-27

    LOS ANGELES, May 22 /PRNewswire/ -- An estimated 4.7 million people in the
 United States are bitten by dogs each year, 10 to 20 of whom will die from
 their wounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
 While children are the most common victims, Southern California Gas Co.  (The
 Gas Company) meter readers also fall prey to such injuries.
     "Last year, about one-third of our reportable injuries to meter readers
 were dog bites, some of which were quite serious," said Anne Smith, vice
 president of customer services and marketing at The Gas Company.  "Safe entry
 to a customer's yard is necessary for us to effectively serve our customers
 and take an accurate meter read."
     With National Dog Bite Prevention Week underway May 21-27, The Gas Company
 says customer cooperation is needed when it comes to preventing unnecessary
 dog bites.  "We're asking our customers who own dogs to please properly
 confine their dogs away from the gas meter," said Smith.  "Most dog bite
 injuries can be prevented through public education and responsible dog
 ownership."
     Smith suggests customers check their gas bill for the following month's
 meter-read date so they can plan ahead to have their pet properly restrained.
 Gas Company meter readers are instructed not to enter the yard if they sense
 it is unsafe.  Even if the owner is holding onto the dog, the meter reader is
 instructed to retreat.  That's because dogs can become protective, more
 aggressive and difficult to handle, often breaking free from the owner's
 control.
     "Dogs are by nature protective of their environment and their young ones.
 We understand that and are taking steps not only to serve our customers but to
 provide for our employees' safety," said Smith.
     Gas Company meter readers receive extensive training on which dogs are
 most aggressive and how to safely deal with them.  They also are equipped with
 special dog handling devices designed to protect them from an aggressive dog.
 
     Southern California Gas Co. is the nation's largest natural gas
 distribution utility, serving 18 million customers through 5 million meters.
 The company's service territory encompasses 23,000 square miles throughout
 central and Southern California.  The Gas Company is a subsidiary of Sempra
 Energy (NYSE:   SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San
 Diego, with 12,000 employees, revenues of nearly $5.5 billion and more than
 9 million customers in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico and South
 America.
 
 

SOURCE  Southern California Gas Company