allegation and revealed she is an SPCA official.

Mrs. Jeanette Larson, who is on the anti-cruelty society's management committee, denied she sat casually in her car and watched when her dog jumped out and chased after a smaller dog.

And she rejected claims that her pet, which she described as "a small pit-labrador cross'', attacked the smaller dog.

Mrs. Larson was responding to allegations from onlookers who say they saw a woman sit in her car and watch while the smaller dog was attacked.

"She did absolutely nothing about it,'' landscaper Mr. John Bento told The Royal Gazette after the incident on Sunday. "She didn't call it off, she just sat in the car very nonchalantly.'' The larger dog jumped back into the car and the woman "just drove off'', ignoring protests from onlookers, it was alleged.

After reading the accusations, Mrs. Larson decided to identify herself and give her version of events.

She said she had been searching for the small black terrier-type dog since Tuesday, when it had escaped from the SPCA. While driving along South Road, Devonshire, she accidentally came across it and slowed down.

"One of my dogs jumped out of the car and chased the terrier into the bushes at Gibbons reserve,'' she said.

"I was parked opposite the driveway where the dogs ran off and did not see my dog catch the terrier. Within seconds my dog ran back to me, at which time I picked her up and put her into the car.

"It happened in split seconds. I got out of the car and crossed the street and my dog came running back to me.'' Mrs. Larson said she took her dogs home and then returned to the area to try to catch the terrier. She heard no protests from other motorists, she said.

"My husband and I continued to search for the dog and at 5 p.m. we spotted it running outside of the Paget Plaza. We were unable to catch him.

"I have devoted my life to animals and have been on the SPCA management committee for the past seven years and am an active participant.'' Mrs. Larson admitted that the incident happened very quickly and that she lost sight of her dog for "a few seconds''. But she denied her dog grabbed the terrier.

"If she had attacked the terrier there would have been fur and blood on my dog, and there wasn't.'' Mrs. Larson was supported by fellow SPCA member Miss Jennifer Paradine, who spotted the smaller dog later on Sunday. "It was fine,'' she said. "There were no marks on it.'' But Mr. Bento, who was driving behind Mrs. Larson, remained unconvinced. "The dog jumped out of the window and I saw it pounce on the little dog. It didn't seem to be playing with it.

"I never saw her get out of the car, and if she did it could only have been for seconds. She didn't react in any way that I thought a typical dog owner would react.''