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How to Give Back Without Spending: Donate Time, Skills, More

April is National Volunteer Month so NBC’s senior business correspondent Christine Romans joins TODAY to talk about how to make a difference without busting your budget. She shares low-cost ways to give back including spending time visiting senior centers, cleaning up local parks, mowing a neighbor’s lawn, supporting a small business and more.

Dogs’ fates hang in the balance after ‘one of the worst’ attacks

The fate of two dogs responsible for killing another dog and seriously injuring its owner in Perth is still to be decided. 

The woman and her smaller dog were attacked as they walked along Sycamore Rise in Dianella on Saturday, which was captured on CCTV.

The two loose animals are now in the care of the City of Stirling while the 49-year-old woman recovers in hospital. 

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Dianella dog attack

"This is definitely one of the worst instances of a dog attack that I have seen," RSPCA WA chief operating officer Hannah Dreaver said today.

Dog attacks are a concern for Perth councils, taking place across the city weekly and hospitalising hundreds of people every year.

"Dog attacks have been increasing in both the nature of the attacks as well as their frequency," Cornerstone Legal lawyer Tim Howeling said.

" … A person charged with a dog attack faces a maximum fine of $10,000."

The injured woman could even pursue her own legal action. 

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Dianella dog attackDianella dog attack

"They [the owners] may be considered to be liable in criminal injuries compensation and they may also be the subject of civil action to recoup from them the losses from the person who is the victim of the attack may have suffered," Howeling said.

The City of Stirling is working to gather statements from those involved, including the dogs' owner, before a decision is made on what will happen to them. 

They'll either be returned to the owner or kept by the council, facing the possibility of being put down. 

"The question is whether or not that dog is able to be safely rehomed with the persons who were originally the owners of the dog," Howling said.

Dianella dog attack

The RSPCA urged owners to socialise their dogs early. 

"We really encourage owners to keep their dogs confined to their property and to also understand where their dogs are at all times," Dreaver said.

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Fuel thief on the run after stealing nearly $3000 worth of diesel

A man is on the run after stealing thousands of dollars worth of fuel from a family-owned petrol station in Sydney's south.

The fuel thief was spotted on CCTV filling several jerry cans with up to 600 litres of diesel on Saturday without paying the $2874 bill he racked up at a Budget petrol station in Mascot.

The man actually spoke to the attendant before filling up, and almost ran him over as he allegedly fled.

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The man drove off after filling several jerry cans with 600 litres of diesel.

The cashier chased the man down Baxter Road before the driver hit a dead end.

He almost struck the attendant when he turned back down the street as the cashier was filming what was happening.

The man was able to get away and a scan of the number plates revealed the car was allegedly stolen.

"It's criminal what he's done, it's very disappointing to our business," Budget Petrol operations manager Diann Melas said.

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The man actually entered the service station and spoke to the attendant before the alleged theft.

"Every store is an independent family-owned business, and running off with $3000 worth of fuel comes out of our expenses."

As the fuel crisis continues, with prices skyrocketing and supply being stretched, thefts have soared by up to 50 per cent, according to the Australian Association of Convenience Stores.

It's not just in cities where brazen thefts are occurring, with a man in rural Queensland being charged with stealing 1000 litres of diesel from a nearby property.

Police allege that sometime between April 1 and April 3, the 59-year-old drove his 2006 Holden Crewman ute into a property on Texas Yelarbon Road in Yelarbon, four hours west of the Gold Coast.

There, he allegedly siphoned fuel from a storage unit into an intermediate bulk container on the back of his vehicle and drove off with it.

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Following investigations by local police, with help from the local community, the Yelarbon man and the ute were found on a property along the Cunningham Highway on Monday.

He has been charged with one count of stealing and is due to appear in the Goondiwindi Magistrates Court on April 22.

With the price of diesel continuing to soar well past $3 a litre, farmers are being encouraged to take steps to help prevent thefts, including securing their fuel supplies, installing and signposting security cameras and storing fuel out of direct sight from the road.

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Meghan makes surprise appearance on reality show during Australian tour

The Duchess of Sussex has made a surprise appearance on reality cooking show MasterChef Australia, as her husband Prince Harry jetted off to Canberra on the second day of their tour.

Meghan made a shock appearance at the MasterChef set in Melbourne's inner-north-west, where she appeared as a guest judge for contestants on this year's season.

The Duchess was embraced by fellow judges Jean-Christophe Novelli, Poh Ling Yeow and Sofia Levin after walking into the studio in a black dress.

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Duchess of Sussex Meghan appears on MasterChef Australia.

"I'm so happy to be here," she told the judges.

Meghan has spruiked her cooking skills on two seasons of her Netflix lifestyle show With Love, Meghan.

Meghan was not listed on today's itinerary for the couple's tour, raising questions about how she may have been spending the day.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry spent the morning at Whitten Oval in Footscray, where he learned a few tricks of the craft from Western Bulldogs players and mingled with young fans and members of the Wiggles.

"I still didn't believe it until he came walking out," Western Bulldogs midfielder Adam Treloar said.

"He said he'd never kicked a footy or handballed before. I think he was a bit disappointed we gave him a kids' footy, he wanted a real one."

Inside the club, Harry attended a private Movember event, where he discussed his experience with therapy and touched on the impact fatherhood has had on his life.

Prince Harry, center left, The Duke of Sussex, meets Western Bulldogs players during a visit to Movember at the Western Bulldogs HQ at Mission Whitten Oval, in Footscray, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Jonathan Brady/Pool Photo via AP)Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is presented with Western Bulldogs Archie and Lilibet jerseys during a visit to Movember at the Western Bulldogs Headquarters at Mission Whitten Oval, in Footscray, Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Jonathan Brady/Pool Photo via AP)

"Certainly from a therapy standpoint, you want to be the best version of yourself for your kids," Harry said during the Q and A session, the Press Association reports.

"And I knew that I had stuff from the past that I needed to deal with, and therefore prepare myself to basically cleanse myself of the past."

He was also presented with Western Bulldogs jerseys with the names of his two children Archie, 6 and Lilibet, 4, printed on the back.

A few dozen fans lined Whitten Oval in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the prince, but he slipped in through a side exit and left through a back door.

Dogs supporters said they were pleased Harry was shining a light on an important cause, as well as their club.

"I think it's awesome, you know it's an honour for our club and it's a privilege for him to be at our club," Western Bulldogs fan Irene Chatfield said.

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, takes part in a Q&A session during a visit to Movember at the Western Bulldogs HQ at Mission Whitten Oval in Footscray, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Jonathan Brady/Pool Photo via AP)Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, punches a sherrin ball during a Western Bulldogs Australian rules football session at the Western Bulldogs HQ at Mission Whitten Oval, in Footscray, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Jonathan Brady/Pool Photo via AP)

Harry then jetted to Canberra, where he spent the afternoon visiting the Australian War Memorial.

The Duke of Sussex wore a suit and his military service medals as he was shown an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial at the venue.

He laid a wreath at the memorial and participated in a traditional Indigenous smoking ceremony.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 15: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and LTCOL Joseph West lay a wreath and participate in a Smoking Ceremony during a visit to The Australian War Memorial on April 15, 2026 in Canberra, Australia. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on a four-day visit to Australia, with engagements across Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. (Photo by Wendell Teodoro/Getty Images)CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 15: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and LTCOL Joseph West lay a wreath and participate in a Smoking Ceremony during a visit to The Australian War Memorial on April 15, 2026 in Canberra, Australia. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on a four-day visit to Australia, with engagements across Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. (Photo by Wendell Teodoro/Getty Images)CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 15: (L-R) LTCOL Joseph West and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend a Welcome to Country Ceremony during a visit to The Australian War Memorial on April 15, 2026 in Canberra, Australia. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on a four-day visit to Australia, with engagements across Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. (Photo by Wendell Teodoro/Getty Images)

After meeting with Indigenous veterans and receiving a tour of the commemorative museum, the Prince, once known to his fellow servicemen and women as Captain Wales, rounded out a day of solo engagements with a Last Post Ceremony.

Meghan did not appear at this morning's engagements and is not believed to be scheduled for public or private events today.

Prince Harry will return to Melbourne tonight ahead of a public appearance with the Duchess on the banks of the Yarra River tomorrow.

The pair are set to take part in a First Nations guided cultural walk along the Yarra, which is tipped to be the best chance for the public to see the couple.

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