aWITH one bound she was free. The celebrated canine that has dogged the footsteps of a Peterhead postie, hogged the tabloid headlines and captured the heart of a former sex kitten was reprieved from death row yesterday.

Far from being a vicious brute dangerously out of control, the three-year-old bitch, previously known by the less cuddly name of Woolfie, is a loveable, much maligned and misunderstood family pet.

Applause, led by film legend Brigitte Bardot, rippled round the Justiciary Appeal Court, as Lords Kirwood and Cameron decided Woofie must be saved.

Sheriff Kieran McLernan ordered the destruction of the cross-boxer collie in September this year after Woofie's owner Mr Terence Swankie, 51, admitted having his dog dangerously out of control near his home in Roanheads, Peterhead, on April 10.

The dog ran towards neighbour Alistair Gardiner and his grand-daughter, barking and growling so that Mr Gardiner had to fend it off to prevent it biting them.

She also ran towards postman Andrew Ainslie, barking and growling and showing her teeth. He fended Woofie off with his bike to avoid being bitten.

In the weeks since the sheriff's order in early September, a worldwide media campaign has been launched to save the dog with several tabloids claiming Woofie as their own. Such kenspeckle figures as Ms Bardot, Whoopi Goldberg and Roy Hattersley added their tuppenceworth.

According to the former Labour deputy leader, the treatment of Woofie is a defining moment for the reputation of the Scottish justice system - irrespective of how it deals with rape, murder and child abuse.

Yesterday, leading defence QC Gordon Jackson used his considerable powers of persuasion to persuade their lordships that Woofie's death sentence had all come about through a misunderstanding.

He explained that the sheriff had proceeded on the basis that Woofie had been involved in two separate incidents 15 minutes apart. In fact there had been only one incident when the dog acted out of character after it fell out of a window.

Mr Swankie had written a

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letter to the sheriff after being charged, explaining the dog was normally tied up in the yard and must have got scared after falling through the window where she sometimes sat. Although she would bark at people who came near the house, she was very gentle and used to being with children.

The sheriff had continued the case for Mr Swankie to make a personal appearance, but he turned up without legal representation and had not understood the significance of what was happening.

The sheriff offered to continue the case to get a vet's report which might prove that the dog was not dangerous, but Mr Swankie thought he was being asked to explain how the dog had got out and didn't take up the offer.

In the circumstances the sheriff felt he had no alternative in the matter and Mr Swankie was totally surprised when the destruction order was made.

A great deal had been done since then, now that Mr Swankie appreciated the seriousness of the matter, the court heard. A post box had been placed on the front gate, a barrier had been placed on the window from which Woofie had fallen and she attended training classes.

A report had also been prepared by Mr Roger Mugford, an expert on animal aggression, who had spent 14 hours with Woofie and concluded that she was a ''good natured family pet''.

Mr Jackson also referred the court to a pile of references from neighbours and friends of the Swankies - including one from Mr Gardiner, the retired prison officer involved in the incident with Woofie - emphasising that she was a good natured dog who merited a reprieve.

After conferring with Lord Cameron, Lord Kirwood said: ''In the light of information made available to this court which was not available to the sheriff we have decided to allow the appeal and quash the order that the dog be destroyed.''

Before the hearing began, a passing judge observed Woofie's massive media entourage and asked ''Has the whole world gone bananas?'' Barking mad, certainly.