Postal workers face daily terror due to free-roaming, dangerous pets, Postmaster General George Outerbridge said yesterday.

If the situation is not addressed, some areas of the Island may lose home mail delivery completely, he added, as he announced that a task force has been formed to get tough with problematic dog owners.

"On a daily basis the hardworking and diligent postal workers of the Bermuda Post Office place themselves at considerable risk from dog attacks as they attempt to deliver mail to homes throughout the Island," Mr. Outerbridge said.

He reminded the public of the serious dog attack post woman Margaret Pitt suffered in April as she attempted to make a delivery to a Mission Lane home.

While the dog which attacked Ms Pitt was eventually put down and its owner received a $500 fine in court, the problem stretches much further Mr. Outerbridge, said and a task force has been established with representatives from Police, the Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU) and Government dog wardens to remedy the situation.

"While the attack on Ms Pitt was particularly gruesome and despicable, our staff confronts potentially dangerous animals every day as they perform their duties," he said.

"Two weeks ago management met with the delivery staff and their union representatives and we are in absolute agreement that dog attacks represent the greatest threat to the health, safety and well being of our staff."

He added: "No one should be subjected to this kind of terror on a daily basis as they perform their duties."

The task force will study the issue broadly but intends to make recommendations to get tough on noncompliant dog owners.

"The present system needs improvement and we will work together to produce a set of policy guidelines to protect our staff," Mr. Outerbridge said. "This state of affairs has gone on long enough."

The newly appointed Postmaster General said he would do whatever it takes to protect his staff.

"In the meantime, we are putting together a list of dog owners whose animals are of particular concern to staff," he said. "We will institute a system of progressive warning letters that will alert dog owners to the possible loss of mail delivery services to their homes if they do not take adequate steps to secure their animals or locate their mail boxes in safer areas."

Dog warden Jeffrey Benevides said a pamphlet is also being developed issuing advice on how to best deal with dog biting incidents.

Much depends on the cooperation of dog owners, however.

President of the BIU postal division Candice Burrows said some owners have taken hostile positions with postal workers who were only trying to do their jobs safely.

"Some people are cooperative," she said. "But sometimes we are fighting them too."

Problems with dogs also tend to be more prevalent when local schools are on break and children let the animals loose unattended, Mr. Outerbridge added.

But postal workers are not the only service people who are under threat from vicious dogs, BIU Health and Safety officer Colin Simmons added.

Mr. Simmons said both Bermuda Telephone Company and Cablevision workers are also encountering problems in the course of doing their field work.

"If (dog owners) don't accept their responsibility a lot of innocent people can be maimed," Mr. Simmons said.

He appealed to the public to support the many service workers by ensuring their dogs are kept tied up or in kennels.

"Please give us the consideration of being responsible for your animals," he said.