Mother of five dies after being attacked by her beloved dog

Woman dies day after dog bites

A mother of five has died the day after she was bitten by a dog, an inquest in the UK has heard. A crowdfunding page dedicated to raising £8,000 for the 34-year-old woman's funeral calls her «the kindest soul.»

Photo: ru.wikipedia.org

An inquest has heard that a mother-of-five has died the day after her beloved dog bit her on the arm.

Michelle Hempstead, 34, was attacked by the animal in Southend, Essex, England, Sky News reports.

Police have not revealed the breed of the dog but have previously said the animal was assessed as a «non-prohibited breed».

An inquest opened and adjourned in Chelmsford on Thursday heard police found Michelle Hempstead with a «laceration to her upper limb» on July 29 this year.

The woman was taken to Southend Hospital and then transferred to the Royal London Hospital where she died on July 30, forensic co-ordinator Andy Flack said.

A post-mortem examination showed the Hampstead victim had suffered a «dog bite wound to her left forearm», he added.

A cut to the left axillary artery, the main artery in the arm, was also a factor in her death, along with hypovolemic shock, where severe loss of blood or other fluids prevents the heart from pumping enough blood, and multiple organ failure, Sky News noted.

Lincoln Brooks, senior coroner for Essex, has suspended the inquest pending the outcome of the criminal investigation.

He said he would review the suspension in three months and asked for his «deepest condolences» to be sent to his family.

A GoFundMe page set to raise £8,000 for Michelle Hemsted's funeral described her as «the kindest soul».

A friend, who said she was speaking on behalf of family and friends, wrote: «We are absolutely heartbroken by her absence and would like to pay tribute to her by coming together as a community at this sad time.

«Michelle was made of steel, just an incredibly strong and resilient woman who was adored by everyone,» wrote organiser Leah Smith. «If we can all come together for her, it shows how special she was.»

Earlier, Sky News recalls, Essex Police said officers were called to an address in Southend at 11.30am local time on 29 July.

Two dogs were seized from the address, but only one is believed to have been involved in the incident, police added.