'Beautiful' woman mauled to death by own pet dog 'while suffering seizure' as family pay tribute

Devastated loved ones and local residents have been paying their respects to a 'beautiful' woman who tragically died after being attacked by her own dog, amid reports she was having a seizure at her residence. Kelly Reilly, aged 33 and a mother of two, has been identified by those in the area as the casualty of the dreadful incident that occurred at her council house in Wood End, Coventry, England on Monday.

Emergency services declared the woman deceased at the scene despite efforts from paramedics. Authorities have confirmed that the dog involved in the attack has been taken into custody and is not currently classified as a prohibited breed, though further evaluations are pending.

Neighbours disclosed to the Mirror that the dog had been recently passed on to her by another family member, with some suggesting it was an XL Bully. Reilly, who had pre-existing health conditions, is believed to have experienced a seizure which led to her collapse and screams as the dog attacked her.

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Her partner Noel Spring, who resides across from her in a flat in Coventry, West Midlands, frantically tried to save her life during the ordeal. In the wake of the incident, while police conduct a breed assessment of the dog involved, neighbour Lorraine Griffiths recounted the terrifying events that took place shortly after noon on Monday.

She explained: "Kelly suffers from seizures and is thought to have fallen to the floor while having a fit. The dog which is an XL Bully was in the flat and grabbed her neck. It may have been trying to help her at first and not hurt her and then panicked and attacked. Her ear had been ripped off and was later found on the floor nearby," reports the Mirror .

Ms Griffiths recounted the tragic events, revealing Kelly's 50-year-old boyfriend's desperate attempts to save her life: "He was doing chest compressions but it wasn't working. It is such a terrible thing to happen. Noel is too upset to speak about it, he has just lost his missus and he is hurting so much."

She further explained: "Kelly had only had the dog for three or four months. A relative has five Bully dogs and gave one to her sister. But for whatever reason her sister didn't want it and gave it to take on. The dog was never a problem and didn't seem dangerous. She lives in a first floor council flat with a communal garden at the rear and she used to let the dog run around there. It was brown in colour and not so big but had a thick powerful chest. She was a lovely girl and you could always hear her singing. We'll all really miss her around here."

Emergency services were quick to respond, with paramedics arriving swiftly, but despite their best efforts, Kelly passed away shortly after, as confirmed by West Midlands Police. The dog involved was taken into custody by the authorities. This incident adds to a growing list of fatal dog attacks in the nation, with many cases involving XL Bullies.

Chief Inspector David Amos, of West Midlands Police, said: "We understand that this is a distressing and tragic incident and we would like to thank the local community for their support and to our emergency services colleagues who dealt with this incident. Our thoughts remain firmly with the family and loved ones of the woman who has sadly died and will be informing the coroner of her death. The breed of the dog is yet to be confirmed."

Kelly's death marked the fourth fatal dog attack in the UK in 2024, following a record 16 deaths in 2023 a significant increase from six in 2022, as per data from the Office for National Statistics. A number of these recent fatalities have involved the American XL bully breed, which was added to the list of banned breeds in England and Wales at the beginning of the year.

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A neighbour remembered Kelly as a 'kind and loving soul who would do nothing to harm anyone'. She shared: "She loved her singing and her music and she was always so bubbly. She enjoyed having the dog but I never saw her take it for walks. She used to let it out in the garden behind her flat. It looked like a Bully type and at times another dog of the same breed used to come round. I think her family has a few Bullies and one had had puppies."

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Another local recounted the past tragedies that Kelly's family had endured, including the sudden death of her sister's boyfriend. She revealed: "Sadly there has been one tragedy after another. Her mum is in absolute bits and my heart goes out to her. "

Members of Kelly's family also shared their grief on social media. One relative wrote on Facebook: "My beautiful cousin, such a innocent soul, would never hurt a soul, we will miss you."

Another family member expressed their shock, writing: "can't believe you're gone cuz", while a friend paid tribute stating: "Such a loving girl - never had a bad bone in her body."

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