Kelly Reilly, aged 33, was fatally attacked by her own dog in her Coventry, England home on Monday, July 22, 2024, around 12:15 p.m. local time. Reilly resided on Wexford Road.
Reilly’s partner, Noel Spring, 50, discovered her unresponsive in her home and promptly alerted emergency services. Upon their arrival, Reilly was quickly removed from the premises with the assistance of the police. Despite the paramedics’ efforts, Reilly was pronounced dead at the scene.
The dog, identified as a bull mastiff, was seized by the officers. It is currently not considered a prohibited breed, but a comprehensive evaluation is set to confirm this. West Midlands Police Chief Inspector David Amos stated, “We recognize that this is a deeply upsetting and unfortunate event, and we appreciate the support from the local community and our emergency service partners who responded to the incident. 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 resides across the street from Reilly’s flat, had been in a relationship with her for about a year. He described Reilly as “lovely, happy, and smiley. She would do anything for anyone, always helping people out.” He is now caring for two kittens that Reilly had recently rescued.
On the day of the incident, Reilly had intended to babysit her niece and planned to tidy up her flat beforehand. Spring noted, “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.” He mentioned that the dog had not shown any unusual behavior earlier in the day. He added, “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. She was unresponsive.”
Reilly, who had a history of seizures, owned the dog for a few months with no previous signs of aggressive behavior. Spring recalled, “The dog was chasing the cats around the first time I went over; it was alright, it was playful.” Reilly’s family also speculates she may have collapsed due to a seizure before the dog attacked her.
Reilly, a mother of two who lived alone due to her children residing elsewhere, was unemployed due to her health issues. She had been hospitalized twice recently following seizures. Spring emotionally shared, “We were planning to get married. She always walked around with a nice smile; she was happy-go-lucky.”
This unfortunate incident marks the fourth fatal dog attack in the UK in 2024. Data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that dog-related fatalities rose from six in 2022 to 16 in 2023. The American XL bully breed, recently included in the list of banned breeds in England and Wales, has been linked to several recent fatalities. However, animal welfare organizations like the RSPCA and Blue Cross dispute that breed-specific bans enhance public safety, citing the increasing number of dog attacks despite such prohibitions.
