A 70-year-old woman was attacked and killed by her family dog while sunbathing in her backyard on Friday, June 2.
The dog attacked the unnamed woman at her home in Bedworth, Warwickshire, resulting in her untimely death. Her 49-year-old daughter tried to rescue her mother from the attack, but she too was injured by the dog and was unable to prevent the fatal assault.
The daughter was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. However, she and her 52-year-old husband were subsequently taken into police custody on charges pertaining to the possession of a dog breed banned under UK law.
The particular breed of the dog involved in the assault remains unclear. According to a neighbor, the owner described the dog as a rare breed, claiming that only six such dogs exist in the country. The neighbor, who wished to stay anonymous, noted that the dog had a Bulldog-Mastiff-like appearance.
Specific dog breeds and types are banned or restricted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in the UK, to address concerns over dog attacks and public safety. Breeds or types typically under ban or strict regulation include American pit bull terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos, and Fila Brasileiros.
Warwickshire Police Superintendent Sutherland Lane reassured the public that such dog attacks are rare but they have been in the news. This incident constitutes the fifth dog-related death in the UK this year.
Natasha Johnston, a 28-year-old professional dog walker, lost her life in Surrey in January while walking a group of eight dogs, one of which was her own American Bully XL. The dog was subsequently put down.
In a similar incident a month later, 37-year-old Jonathan Hogg from Greater Manchester, who cared for dogs, was fatally attacked by an American Bully XL while engaging in play with it. The dog targeted his throat and Hogg later died in the hospital. Given the threat posed by the dog to public safety, armed officers were brought in to contain it before it was euthanized by the Greater Manchester police.
