A Serious Case of Puppy Love

In the quiet life of Fran Stephanie Trutt, there seemed to be only one abiding passion: protecting dogs from abuse. The 33-year-old substitute teacher from Queens, N.Y., devoted much of her free time to her canine crusade. She fed neighborhood strays, marched in antivivisection protests and pushed for legislation outlawing cruelty to animals. Her mother told reporters last week, "She was obsessed with animals, particularly dogs, that's the truth."

Two weeks ago, Trutt's passion came dangerously close to exploding. Acting on a tip from an informant, police in Norwalk, Conn., arrested Trutt seconds after she placed a powerful pipe bomb studded...