On Monday, July 22, 2024, around 12:15 p.m., Kelly Reilly, a 33-year-old resident of Coventry, England, was fatally attacked by her pet dog in her home on Wexford Road.
Reilly’s partner, Noel Spring, 50, found her unresponsive in her apartment and alerted emergency services. With the assistance of police, paramedics quickly removed Reilly from the premises due to safety concerns. Despite their best efforts, the ambulance crew was unable to revive her, and she was declared deceased at the scene.
The dog, believed to be a bull mastiff, was seized by officers. Although it is not thought to be a prohibited breed, a thorough evaluation will occur to confirm this.
Chief Inspector David Amos of West Midlands Police stated, “We appreciate the support from the local community and our emergency service partners in response to this tragic event. Our condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased woman, and we will be notifying the coroner of her death.”
Spring, who lives across from the apartment, had been in a relationship with Reilly for roughly a year. He recalled her as “lovely, happy, and smiley,” adding that “she would do anything for anyone, always helping people out.” Spring is currently caring for two kittens that Reilly had recently rescued.
On the day of the incident, Reilly had intended to babysit her niece and was cleaning her apartment beforehand. “She left my flat, and about 15 minutes later, I went over to see her, and then I went back around 10-15 minutes afterward, and that was when I found her,” Spring commented. He mentioned that the dog had exhibited normal behavior earlier that day, adding, “There was no screaming, there was no dog barking or nothing, but she did suffer from seizures, so I don’t know if she went down and the dog attacked her.”
Reilly had a history of seizures, and her family speculates she may have had a seizure shortly before the dog attacked her. She had owned the dog for a few months, and there had been no previous signs of aggressive behavior. “The dog was chasing the cats around the first time I went over; it was alright, it was playful,” Spring recalled.
Reilly, a mother of two who didn’t live with her children, was unemployed due to her health conditions. She had been hospitalized twice recently due to seizures. “We were planning to get married. She always walked around with a nice smile; she was happy-go-lucky,” Spring said, filled with grief.
This incident marks the fourth fatal dog attack in the UK in 2024. As reported by the Office for National Statistics, dog attack fatalities increased from six in 2022 to 16 in 2023. A significant number of these recent deaths involved the American XL bully breed, which is now banned in England and Wales. However, animal welfare organizations such as the RSPCA and Blue Cross argue that breed-specific bans do not necessarily enhance public safety, citing the increasing number of dog attacks despite such bans.