A judge has reversed a magisterial decree for a dog who had bitten a postman to be put down.

Instead, the judge ordered that the dog be kept in the care of Freddie Fenech, the founder of the Association of Abandoned Animals, at the owner's expense.

The incident involving Kimba took place on New Year's Eve last year when postman Neville Camilleri was bitten as he was distributing post in Triq il-Dalja, Swieqi. Mr Camilleri was slightly injured.

In February this year, the dog's owner, Stephen Degabriele, was found guilty of failing to control his dog and was fined €11.65. The Magistrates' Court also ordered the dog's "destruction" in view of its aggressiveness.

Mr Degabriele appealed the judgment, calling on the Court of Criminal Appeal to withdraw the order for Kimba to be put down.

In his judgment, Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono reversed the order for the dog to be put down and instead ordered that the dog be entrusted to Mr Fenech's care at Mr Degabriele's expense for the rest of its life.