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'Caring' widow who died in third fatal dog attack in week pictured

Carol Hall, 78, passed away on Wednesday night after being savaged in a fatal dog attack, the third in one week. The mum was a dog lover who had previously raised money for charity

[Carol Hall]

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Carol Hall who was killed in a dog attack has been pictured for the first time(Image: facebook)

This is the first photo of a tragic pensioner who was mauled to death by two crazed dogs in her home. Carol Hall, 78, died after the animals attacked her in Bilston, Wolverhampton, late on Wednesday night.

The dogs, whose breed has not been revealed, were destroyed at the scene. A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in death. Police said on Friday night that he had been released on police bail 'as our investigation continues'.

Police also said that the dogs had been assessed by their officers and independently assessed by another police force and 'are not believed to be a banned breed'.

Tributes were paid to "tiny" Carol, whose husband Dennis died several years ago, on social media. Her Facebook posts reveal she adored dogs and had previously raised money for a dog charity.

Friend David Williams posted a photo of Carol with her little pet dog on Facebook. He wrote: Sad to hear my good friend Carol Hall has passed. We had loads of laughs at The Village with you and Den. You are together again. Rest peacefully now my friend.

Another friend, Elizabeth Wallace, wrote: RIP Carol. Such a lovely, caring lady. May you get the best bed in heaven.

[Carol Hall]

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Carol adored dogs and had stared a fundraiser on one of her birthdays for a dog charity.(Image: Instagram)

Relatives visited the scene of the attack today but said it was too soon to talk. Neighbours described Carol as a diamond who had lived in the ground-floor housing association flat for years.

Everyone around here knew her so well, said one local. She was tiny but had bright red dyed hair, you couldnt miss her. She was so kind-hearted and will be hugely missed by everyone. Its a tragedy.

On Friday two women came to look at flowers left outside her flat and take a few belongings from a caravan parked on the drive. But they would not comment and said: "We can't talk , it's too hard."

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) says dog bite injuries are "clearly rising" and pet owners must follow key advice when handling and training their pets.

Deaths from dog bites increased more than 200 per cent in a year, according to a new report on accidental deaths and hospital admissions.

The incident follows two other fatal dog attacks last week; a three-month-old girl died in Redcar, near Middlesbrough, and 19-year-old Jamie-Lea Biscoe died after being found with serious injuries in Leaden Roding, Essex.

[The scene of the dog attack]

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The widow died at her own home after the horror in Bilston, West Midlands(Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

Investigations about the baby's death continue after officers destroyed one dog on the street and another dog found at the address. Both animals were assessed by a specialist officer and were deemed not to be a prohibited type of dog.

'Kind' teen Jamie-Lea died after she was bitten on the neck. Her devastated dad, Jack, 37, who discovered his daughter on a bedroom floor. He later said his daughter was 'not killed by an XL Bully, she was killed by a genuine family dog...a loving...beautiful dog" who was her best friend. The teenager's dad was also injured when he was bitten on the ear and his arms. "I lost my entire life" he said.

[Jamie-lea Biscoe]

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Jamie-Lea Biscoe was found by her dad after being attacked by the family dog(Image: Facebook/ Tina Wells)

He said: "I thought I could trust that dog with my life and it took my daughter's life."

In the latest attack in the West Midlands, locals suggested the two dogs who attacked the pensioner were "big" and hard to control.

Paramedics were called to a ground-floor flat on Willis Pearson Avenue, Wolverhampton, at 11.30pm Wednesday.

Neighbour Sam Wright, 64, told how Carol, a retired lock factory worker would not have stood a chance.

He said: "She couldn't have fended him off as she was very weak, they were big dogs. I heard her daughter say distinctly, 'My mum's been killed by the dogs'.

"I've seen people from the housing association taking in mops and all the cleaning stuff there today."

[Floral tributes have been left to the mum who was killed in a dog attack]

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Floral tributes have been left to the mum who was killed in a dog attack(Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

Another neighbour said: "I went over once to take her a bereavement card for a chap who died next door. The dogs came in so I had to get back out. They were big.

"The window was boarded up because the family said there was blood inside. One man saw blood everywhere."

Dozens of flowers and cards have been left outside Carol's ground-floor flat following her death. One read: "To Carol, I'm gunna miss you so much. You didn't deserve this. Rest in peace. I just can't believe it. It don't seem real. God bless you, love you xxx"

Tributes were also posted on social media. One post on Facebook read: "RIP Carol. I remember going round to hers loads when I was younger. So, so sad."

[The investigation near Wolverhampton continues]

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The investigation near Wolverhampton continues(Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

A 37-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in death, was taken to hospital after sustaining hand injuries.

Both dogs were destroyed at the scene following 'continued aggression' when emergency services arrived, West Midlands Police said.

A West Midlands police statement: A woman has died following an incident involving two dogs at a house in Wolverhampton.

We were called to Willis Pearson Avenue at around 11.30pm to reports a woman in her 70s was being attacked by two dogs.

Despite the best efforts of emergency services, the woman sadly died at the scene. Due to the continued aggression of both dogs when emergency services arrived, they were destroyed at the scene.

A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in death. He was taken to hospital after also receiving injuries to his hand."

Locals suggested the dogs could have been XL Bullies but a police statement said: Further enquiries are being carried out into the two dogs who are not believed to be a banned breed.

Carol in 2018 asked for donations to the Dogs Trust to mark her birthday saying: "their mission means a lot to me."

Matilda Smith, Research Manager at RoSPA, said: Dog bite injuries are clearly rising, and thats a real concern. The honest answer is that we dont yet fully understand why this increase is happening. Many reports point to a jump in dog ownership during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are likely to be several factors at play.

"Its important not to jump to conclusions without stronger evidence; What we do know is that these incidents can cause serious harm, and RoSPA advises people to follow established guidance from organisations like the RSPCA, for example, around supervision, recognising signs of stress in dogs, and safe behaviour around animals.

Data from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents also revealed that 12,423 people needed hospital treatment for dog bites in the 2023/24 year. The data comes from yearonyear analysis of accident data and wasnt published in response to any specific incident.

The latest accident data shows that deaths from dog bites rose from six in 2022 to 20 in 2023, with 12,423 people needing hospital treatment for dog bites in the 2023/24 year.

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