A TEENAGER who was mauled to death by a dog at a flat in Bristol has been named by police with two people arrested.
Morgan Dorsett, 19, was attacked by the hound, feared to be an XL Bully, and died at the scene yesterday evening.
Morgan Dorsett, 19, was attacked by the hound
LNPA 19-year-old has been killed by what cops think is an XL bully[/caption]
LNPThe horror attack took place at Cobhorn Drive, south Bristol, yesterday[/caption]
LNPTributes have flooded in for the teenager as flowers are placed outside the flat[/caption]
A man and a woman, both in their 20s, were arrested following the horror.
A call was made at 7.19pm after the woman was brutally attacked in a flat in Cobhorn Drive, south Bristol.
Despite efforts to save her XXX tragically died at the scene due to her injuries.
Two were arrested on suspicion of being “in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death” and “possession of a prohibited breed of dog,” according to the police.
Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement: XXX
The force said that the two people arrested remain XXX
A horrified neighbour witnessed the dog owner leaving her flat covered in blood who then sat in the street and started crying for “hours.”
Despite efforts to save her the young woman tragically died due to her injuries and the dog was destroyed.
She said: “It was almost like she was trying to scream, cry and ask for help all at the same time.”
“She sat on the steps and a few hours were going by and they didn’t arrest her or anything.
“She didn’t go back in at all.
“She somehow landed up down [the road] and I could hear her all hours just crying.
“She had blood on her. I don’t know if she was injured, trying to stop the dog from doing the attack.
“She had it on her front. It was more than a little bit [of blood].”
Neighbours Doreen Tovey, 82, and Barry Tovey, 62, reported seeing the woman leave.
Mrs Tovey said: “I saw a young girl, very hysterical, shouting: ‘They killed my dog’.
“You could hear her screaming. All I heard was the commotion and six or seven police cars came up.”
Doreen Tovey said the incident was “very frightening”.
“I came out my house to see what all the commotion was.
“[There were] loads of police cars, riot van, ambulance across the road from me.”
An alarmed neighbour heard the commotion and rushed out to help as the dog owner left the flat.
She said: “The moment she walked out the door I could hear her, and I ran over to her and said, ‘Are you okay?’
“She couldn’t talk or say a word. It was like she wasn’t there because of the shock.”
“I genuinely feel that this was one of those freak accidents and wasn’t her fault – that’s how I feel.”
The Cobhorn Drive resident said the teenager who died was a “lovely girl” and “can’t believe” this had happened on their street.
“I am shocked. I just can’t believe it’s happened and she hasn’t been there that long,” they added.
“I am still trying to process this. I was up all night awake trying to process this.
“She seemed a lovely girl.”
Two individuals were arrested on suspicion of being “in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death” and “possession of a prohibited breed of dog,” according to the police.
Cops said the hound was tranquilized and taken to a vet for examination – they fear the vicious dog is an XL Bully but this is yet to be confirmed.
Another neighbour said the dog – what is thought to be a male XL Bully about hip height – had been put to sleep.
The neighbour added: “When they took the dog out it wasn’t dead. They took the dog to the vets. I heard them saying it. To me, it was definitely an XL and she said it was.”
Witnesses have described seeing a huge emergency response as police and paramedics attended the scene.
Resident Gary Steadman said he heard “screaming” and that the incident was heartbreaking.
He also described the dog as “big, butch and brown and white” in colour.
Neighbourhood Inspector Terry Murphy said: “Our thoughts, first and foremost, are with the family of the young woman who’s tragically died as a result of yesterday evening’s incident. They have been updated and will be supported by a family liaison officer.
“I’d also like to thank the officers and paramedics who attended yesterday evening and tried to save her life. Support is in place for them.
“A full investigation is now well underway to establish the full circumstances of the events that led to her death.
“As part of this work, Cobhorn Drive was closed last night and I thank everyone for their patience and understanding about our need to do this.
“There will be an increased police presence in the area over the coming days, including neighbourhood officers, and if you have any concerns please do speak to them.”
A spokesperson said rumours the dog was “shot in the street” were untrue and it was taken away to be humanely put to sleep.
“It was sedated and taken away and it has been put down on the grounds of public safety,” they added.
“It was not done at the scene.
“We are still to determine the type of breed as it is a complex assessment.”
DANGEROUS DOGS
The UK government website states it’s a criminal offence to own or possess an XL Bully dog in England and Wales unless you have a valid Certificate of Exemption.
This ban came in on 1 February 2024 and was due to a significant rise in reported attacks with multiple fatalities over the past few years.
On Tuesday, this week, two XL Bully dogs were shot 19 times as cops intervened an attack on a pensioner.
The victim was in a critical but stable condition in hospital and a 29-year-old woman was arrested.
It’s also an offence to sell an XL Bully dog, abandon one, give the dog away, breed XL Bully’s, or take the dog out in public without a lead or a muzzle.
Those who own an XL Bully without an exemption can face a criminal record and their pet may be taken and destroyed.
NHS consultant Richard Baker told the BBC the breed is particularly dangerous due to its jaw strength.
XL Bullys can cause more damage than other dogs including broken bones, torn skin, and nerve damage.
He said: “It’s a crushing or a tearing injury.
“Once they grip, they don’t let go.”
Fatal XL Bully attacks
A 10-year-old girl, locally named as Savannah, killed by her “new pet”, and XL Bully, on Friday November 1, 2024.
Woman in her 50s mauled to death at home by two XL Bully dogs in Hornchurch, East London on May 21, 2024.
Esther Martin, 68, was looking after her grandson in Jaywick, Essex, when dogs Bear and Beauty attacked her on February 3, 2024.
Ian “Scouse” Langley, 54, was protecting his puppy when the animal pounced on him outside a home in Sunderland in October 2023.
Ian Price, 52, was viciously savaged in September 2023 by the beasts as he tried to protect his elderly mum from them after they escaped.
Jonathan Hogg, 37, was killed in May 2023 entered the dog’s pen when it went for him, leaving bite wounds on his arm, leg and head.
Natasha Johnston, 28, was mauled to death while walking a pack of dogs in January 2023 was believed to have been killed by her own pet – an American Bully XL.
Shirley Patrick, 83, died 17 days after being mauled in a “hellish”, violent dog attack in December 2022.
Ian Symes, 34, who was known to friends as “Wiggy”, died at a recreation ground in Fareham, Hampshire, after the savage attack in August 2022.
Joanne Robinson, 43, was fatally mauled by pet Rocco at her home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire in July 2022.
Keven Jones, 62, went into cardiac arrest after being bitten by Cookie-Doe at Chanel Fong’s home in Wrexham, North Wales in May 2022.
Bella-Rae Birch, one, was mauled to death in March 2022 at her home by the American Bully XL.
Jack Lis, 10, was killed by a hulking XL Bully dog named Beast in November 2021 as he played at friend’s home in Caerphilly.
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
