'I don't know what to do. I cannot put them up for adoption because nobody will want to take my dogs,' she said.

She explained that four of her five dogs, which are puppies of her oldest bitch, were born with a condition called hip dysplasia.

This genetic condition usually affects the rear legs, causes premature wear and tear of the joints, and may cause the dogs to limp.

'We had originally intended to give up two of the puppies for adoption, but when we brought them to the vet, he told us of their condition and recommended we put them down instead,' she said.

WON'T PUT THEM DOWN

Madam Satpal said she refused to have the dogs euthanised because of her religious beliefs.

At the same time she said she had grown very attached to the four puppies because they reminded her of their father, her first Rottweiler. It died of cancer two months after the puppies were born last year.

The puppies are 1 1/2 years old, while their mother is 2 1/2 years old.

Because of their condition, she has had to send them for regular medical treatment.

She said a visit to the vet last month cost her more than $2,000, and supplements alone for all five dogs cost $500 a month.

'I am a responsible dog owner,' said Madam Satpal. 'I keep my dogs leashed at all times when the gate is opened.

'What happened that day when the jack russell was attacked was a mistake made by my maid,' she said.

'The maid wasn't feeling well. Someone had left the house and she had gone into the house to close the gate using the electronic control.

'As the gate is not visible from inside the house, she did not realise the gate was not closed. Usually she closes the gate from outside and will check that it is properly closed,' said Madam Satpal.

Madam Satpal also said she had wanted to go out and apologise to the jack russell's owner but the crowd had been very upset and she had been advised not to go out of the house.

She said she understood the importance of training her dogs and she had engaged a private trainer last December when her puppies were about five months old.

But she explained that the trainer, who charged her about $1,000, handled her dogs in private sessions for three months and refused to allow any of her family, including herself to take part in the training process.

'The dogs, after three months of training with him, couldn't obey basic commands of sit, stay and come.

'We stopped his services and hired another trainer in March. Now the dogs are able to obey the basic commands given by any of my family members and the maid.'

She said she had chosen to buy her first Rottweiler because her family found the puppy very cute and, after doing research on the breed, found it suitable to keep as a pet.

'They have been put in negative light, but my dogs are friendly. I have a granddaughter who is 31/2 months old living with me and she plays with the dogs, and they are friendly with her,' she said.

'I don't know who will take in my dogs. Their medical bills are a problem.

'If I really cannot find them a home, I will have no choice but to have them euthanised and I really don't want to have to do that.'

FAST FACTS

There are 220 licensed rottweilers here, says AVA.

They are on AVA's Schedule 2 list of dogs which must be muzzled in public places. Others include bull terrier, doberman pinscher, german shepherd, belgian shepherd and the east european shepherd, mastiffs and crosses of the above.

In 2005, a rottweiler attacked a smaller dog twice in Bukit Timah and the owner's 7-year-old son.

In 2002, the owner of another rottweiler was fined $2,500 and ordered to pay a domestic helper $1,000 after the unmuzzled dog bit her.

Also in 2002, a rottweiler entered a home in East Coast and mauled a pet rabbit to death.

This article was first published in The New Paper on 2 Dec 2007