A pet owner has been hit with a fine and ordered to pay compensation after her dog attacked a gas company worker coming to read her meter.

The victim underwent an operation and required five stitches to a finger after being bitten on the hand during the visit to Karen Lowdon's home in Bruce Close, South Shields on May 2.

Paul Anderson, prosecuting, said: "The man had gone to collect the gas meter reading and had done so for five years. He had never seen a dog there before.

"There was a big sign saying 'beware of dog' on the gate.

He rattled the gate and saw no sign of the dog. He got about two steps into the garden when the dog ran out.

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Five family dogs that wounded a former Bullhead City mayor and killed her husband in a weekend attack will be euthanized.

Diane Vick, mayor of the Arizona town from 1999 to 2007, asked that the pets be "put down" after a 10-day quarantine, Bullhead City police Capt. Tad Appleby said Monday.

Vick, 65, and her 64-year-old husband, Thomas Vick, were home alone with their six dogs when a female 40-pound shepherd attacked a 14-pound cocker spaniel Sunday evening, Appleby said. Four other dogs, a boxer named Dempsy and three boxer mixes weighing between 45 and 60 pounds, joined the initial skirmish, he said.

"It culminated in a big dog fight," Appleby said. "All six animals got involved. Mr. Vick got in the middle of it."

The couple were taken to Western Arizona Regional Medical Center after suffering bites and cuts to their legs. Thomas Vick died at the hospital, possibly from bleeding to death through a cut to his femoral artery, Appleby said.

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An angry dog owner is demanding answers from the Grand Bahama Power Company after his pet was allegedly pepper sprayed in its face by a meter reader.

Joel Robertson, 39, claims his pitbull dog, named Bolt, was unnecessarily attacked at the family's Grenada Avenue home on Thursday afternoon by the GBPC employee.

Robertson said, "Approximately 4:30 in the afternoon I was home working in the front of my yard and Freeport Power's meter reader came to my yard to read my meter. They never have to come inside my yard, they always go on the opposite side of my fence and use binoculars because I have dogs.

"My fence is completely secured and there is no way my dogs can get out and I've never had an incident of them getting out. As he walked up to the fence, the first thing he did was pull out a pepper spray to spray my dog directly in his face two feet away from him."

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TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- A routine trip to the post office turned into a morning of fear and panic for one Tupelo resident.
"Screaming. I was just screaming real loud," said Ms. Brenda Tramontine.
Ms. Tramontine says she has walked on the sideway in front of a South Church Street home dozens of times and adds that before Tuesday, she never had a close encounter with any of the dogs inside the fenced front lawn. 
"They've always come to the fence and barked, but they've been chained up. But evidently, he broke the chain," said Ms. Tramontine.
Ms. Tramontine says after breaking the chain, the dog jumped over the fence and bit her leg.  Moments later, a good Samaritan came to her rescue and helped calm the animal. 

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