A woman was mauled to death by her own pet dog at home.
The victim has been identified as Kelly Reilly, a mother of two, who lived in a council-owned home in the residential suburb of Wood End. The 33-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene despite the best efforts from paramedics.
The dog, which is not believed to be a ‘banned breed’ has since been seized.
According to neighbors, the dog, which was an XL Bully, was recently given to the woman by a family member.
Officials believe the woman was suffering a seizure when the dog jumped on and attacked her, causing her to fall down screaming. Her partner, Noel Spring, who resided in West Midlands, tried to get the dog off her, without success.
Lorraine Griffiths, one of the victim’s neighbors, said the dog had allegedly grabbed her neck when she began seizing. She believes the dog may have ‘tried to help her at first’ but eventually ‘attacked’ after panicking.
The dog eventually ripped off the woman’s ear, which was found on the ground nearby.
According to Griffiths, the victim’s boyfriend had immediately rushed over after being notified about the attack and ‘desperately tried to bring her back’ by doing chest compressions. However, he was unsuccessful.
Two ambulances and two air ambulances arrived at the scene shortly afterwards. They quickly found the victim inside the property in ‘critical condition’ before she died at the scene.
Griffiths said the dog was initially given to the victim’s sister, however, she ‘didn’t want it’, so the woman ended up taking it home. For the past three to four months, the dog never caused any issues and was not deemed dangerous.
Kelly, who lived on the first floor, had access to a communal garden and would frequently take the dog outside to run around. Neighbors noted, however, Kelly rarely took the dog for a walk and that he was only let out in the garden.
While the dog wasn’t very big, it ‘had a thick powerful chest’.
David Amos, the Chief Inspector of West Midlands Police, thanked the local community for their support and offered his condolences to the victim’s family and friends. He also confirmed that the breed of the dog has yet been identified.
Kelly’s neighbors have also paid tribute, describing her as a ‘gentle and loving soul’ who ‘loved singing and music’.
Her death is not the first heartache her family has experienced this year. Just recently, her sister’s boyfriend passed away.
Several of her family members have since taken to social media to speak of the incident.
The incident marks the fourth dog-related death in the U.K. since the beginning of the year. In 2023, there were 16 dog-related deaths, which was a significant increase from the six in 2022.
According to the Office for National Statistics, several of the recent deaths involved the XL Bully Breed, which has been on Wales and England’s list of banned breeds since the beginning of 2024.