The phone company that I work for does not allow us to carry mace. The reason is because years back, a tech maced a dog and the woman sued. She won alot of money for emotional suffering. We are often getting into situations with aggressive dogs. We have a large screwdriver that the guys nicknamed "Dog killer" because we can't carry mace. Almost all techs will carry the screwdriver readily when they enter a backyard. I personally feel that even if my life was on the line, I would be unable to stab a dog. I think that mace is much more humane.

Anyways, SBC isn't the only company out there that doesn't allow mace. Do you all think that folks that deal with animals on a daily basis should be allowed to carry it? Do you think it is cruel, even when necessary?