Yesterday, after about 11/2 hours of talks at the Subordinate Court, Madam Satpal Kaur, 51, who owns the rottweilers, agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to Mr David Ow, 60, the owner of the smaller dog. It took close to 10 months to close the chapter.

The terms of their agreement are confidential, except that Mr Ow will donate a part of the compensation to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Separately, Madam Kaur was fined a total of $6,000 for letting her dogs out unleashed and unmuzzled.

Her lawyer told a district court yesterday that she has since spent more than $10,000 beefing up security measures at her house to make sure that such an incident does not happen again.

After paying the fine, a sombre Madam Kaur said she was relieved the whole matter was over. She also said she was looking for someone to adopt two of her dogs which are now being kept at a pet hotel.

The saga began on the evening of Nov 26 last year. Mr Ow was walking his dog along Lengkong Tiga, in Kembangan, when a rottweiler and its four 18-month-

old offspring dashed out of their house and set upon his pet.

The attack was stopped by two police officers, who happened to be passing by in their patrol car.

The five-year-old terrier was badly injured and had to be treated at the Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital.

Though Mr Ow was not himself bitten, he fell and hurt himself while trying to protect his pet and was taken by ambulance to hospital for treatment.

It was not the first time that Madam Kaur's dogs had been in the news.

Three months before the attack on the terrier, another neighbour, Mr Foo Seck Siong, 66, had complained to The Straits Times about the threat posed by having such aggressive dogs in the neighbourhood.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), which in 2006 had let the family keep all five dogs, said at the time that no complaint had been made about the dogs attacking anyone.

After the attack, the AVA investigated and found that the dogs had got out because the gate was unlocked. It ordered Madam Kaur to give away two of the dogs.

In January, she was charged in court for not leashing and muzzling the rottweilers in public. She pleaded guilty last week to six charges.

Pleading for a light fine, her lawyer, Mr Satwant Singh, said the maid had inadvertently left the gate open. He noted that rottweilers attack only when provoked and that the Jack Russell had been set upon because it would not stop barking. He noted that Mr Ow himself had not been bitten.

Mr Singh said Madam Kaur had been through a difficult time after she was compelled to give up two of the rottweilers. 'Part of her has died after being separated from the two dogs,' he said.

District Judge May Mesenas then suggested that Madam Kaur and Mr Ow go through mediation to resolve the issue of compensation.

Madam Kaur was fined yesterday afternoon, after a resolution was reached.

Her lawyer informed the judge that the session had helped the neighbours come to an amicable resolution. He added that his client was deeply apologetic and had taken steps to prevent a repeat incident.

When contacted, Mr Ow said: 'I believe she has been punished enough with all the publicity. It's only fair to let bygones be bygones.'

His dog has recovered.

selinal@sph.com.sg