Delivery workers to fight back with spray to stop dog attacks

FOR years they have been the bane of posties' and meter readers' lives, the snarling dogs who seem to spring from nowhere the moment they open the garden gate.

Now the poor delivery workers of the Capital have been handed a new weapon in their running battle with their canine foe.

The Royal Mail is issuing delivery staff with a peppermint-type spray called Bite-Back designed to stop the animal's impulse to bite during an attack. Scottish Power is also handing out the devices to its meter readers.

The spray – somewhat misleadingly nicknamed "doggy mace" – does no harm to pets, but instead disorientates them.

A vapour cloud with a minty smell and taste envelopes the dog's face, deterring it from biting for up to 20 minutes, allowing time for escape or the owner to bring the pet under control.

The sprays are being issued in the wake of a rise in dog attacks on Lothians postal staff, with 22 reported in the last three months, compared to 14 in the same time last year.

ScottishPower is also offering its staff dog dazers which emit an ultra-sonic sound, which is inaudible to humans, but unpleasant to animals.

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately, dog attacks are a hazard faced by our employees and we have recorded around 300 attacks in Scotland in the last 12 months. Our main aim is to prevent attacks, supported by an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of the issue among our customers."

Bite-Back was invented by an animal welfare officer from Devon who suffered facial injuries after trying to use an ultrasonic device on a dangerous, but deaf, dog. Since pepper sprays were known to cause heart attacks in dogs, he came up with a spray formula that causes no lasting harm to the dog. A spokesman for makers Tash UK said: "The spray is not harmful to the animal. It is licensed by the Home Office and used by utility workers, police and councils across the country."

Tom Gatherer, deputy chief superintendent with the SSPCA, said: "Our inspectors and ambulance drivers to do not use any kind of spray as they are highly skilled in dog handling. However, the SSPCA is not opposed to such sprays as long as it's not harmful to the welfare of animals."

Last summer, Royal Mail warned it will stop delivering to some homes and even press for legal action against irresponsible owners due to soaring dog attacks in the East of Scotland.