Man killed by own dog in fight over chocolate cake

Pierre Trasfi and his wife had offered a piece of chocolate cake to their two border collies as they finished lunch yesterday at their home in Haut-Vallespir, local newspaper L’Indépendant reported.

The dogs began to fight over the cake and Mr Trasfi was bitten on the thigh as he tried to pull them apart. The bite is believed to have hit his femoral artery and caused a serious haemorrhage, L’Indépendant said.

The pompiers arrived quickly but were unable to save Mr Trasfi, who had by then suffered a heart attack. One pompier was bitten in the face by the overexcited dogs as he attempted to reach the victim, and had to be taken to a clinic in Céret.

Mrs Trasfi was reportedly unharmed.

Local police in Prats-de-Mollo have opened an inquiry into the event. The dog has been taken to a kennel and put in quarantine until the inquiry is complete.

Mr Trasfi delivered L’Indépendant in the area and had completed a delivery that very morning, the newspaper said.