A woman who was mauled to death by her own dog is pictured with the pet thought to have been responsible.

The tragic 33-year old victim, named locally as Kelly Reilly, is pictured with the powerful dog which she and her 14-year-old son she doted on.

The victim, who suffered from serious health issues, is understood to have had a seizure and collapsed screaming to the ground as the dog attacked her.

Her horrified partner Noel Spring, who lives in a flat opposite in Coventry, West Midlands, desperately battled to save her as she lay dying.

There is confusion today as to whether the dog was a banned XL Bully, a Mastiff or a cross breed.

Kelly Reilly pictured with the dog believed to have mauled her to death in Coventry on Monday

There is confusion over whether the dog fell into the category of the banned XL bully breed, or may have been a mastiff or another type of cross

Locals said Kelly and her 14-year-old son doted on the dog, which may have been seized by police

Kelly Reilly, 33, was discovered ‘unresponsive’ in her flat in Coventry by her horrified partner Noel Spring, 50, after being mauled to death by her pet dog

Locals are also unclear on whether there was a second dog involved with some believing that Kelly had recently may have been looking after a second similar looking dog – but police are understood to be carrying out a breed assessment on a single seized dog.

Police are understood to be carrying out a breed assessment on a seized dog.

Neighbour Lorraine Griffiths told how the horror unfolded shortly after midday on Monday.

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Pictured: Mother, 33, who was mauled to death by her family ‘bull mastiff’ dog after it is feared to have attacked her ‘when she suffered a seizure’

She said: ‘Kelly suffers from seizures and is thought to have fallen to the floor while having a fit.

‘The dog, which we gather is an X 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.’

Ms Griffiths told how Kelly’s 50-year-old boyfriend had rushed over and was ‘desperate trying to bring her back.’

She said: ‘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.’

Another neighbour said: ‘Kelly had only had the dog for three or four months. A relative had a number of Bully dogs and was trying to get people to take them in.

‘The dog had never been a problem and didn’t seem dangerous.

‘Kelly lived 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 woman and you could always hear her singing. We’ll all really miss her around here.’

Paramedics rushed to the scene in a matter of minutes, but, despite their efforts Kelly died a short time later, according to West Midlands Police.

One dog was seized by officers, the force said.

Another neighbour paid tribute to Kelly as a ‘kind and loving soul who would do nothing to harm anyone’.

She said: ‘Kelly loved 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 too.’

Police stand guard behind a cordon at the scene on Wexford Road where Ms Reilly was savaged by her family pet dog

Ms Reilly was ‘rapidly removed’ from the property and treated at the scene by paramedics. However, despite their best efforts she was pronounced dead a short time later

One local told how Kelly’s family had suffered past heartache after the sudden death of her sister’s boyfriend.

She said: ‘Sadly there has been one tragedy after another. Her mum is in absolute bits and my heart goes out to her.’

It is the latest in a series of fatal dog attacks across the country, many 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.’

A force spokesperson added that a breed assessment was being undertaken today and they could neither confirm nor deny if the dog was a controversial Bully XL.

Her death was the fourth fatal dog attack in the UK in 2024, after a record 16 deaths in 2023 – up from six in 2022, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

Many of the recent deaths have involved the American XL bully breed, which was added to the list of banned breeds in England and Wales at the start of the year.