STARING at young photographs of her beloved mum, Gail Jones feels numb as she struggles to come to terms with her harrowing fate.
It’s been three months since Shirley Patrick, 83, died after being mauled in a “hellish”, violent dog attack.
The Welsh pensioner passed away from sepsis following the incident inside her home of 60 years in Penyrheol, Caerphilly – an area dubbed the UK's dog bite capital.
She was the 10th person to die from a dog-related attack in 2022, up from an average of three per year.
In England and Wales, dog attacks have risen by 34 per cent in the last five years, with police recording 22,000 in 2022, compared with 16,000 in 2018.
Gail, 63, laid mum Shirley to rest by burying her ashes along with those of her husband Dennis earlier this month, and admits she still struggles to process what happened.
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She tells The Sun: “I can’t even begin to imagine what she must have gone through, I don’t want to. I don’t want to think of all the pain she suffered.
“Her injuries were horrific, she lost the tip of her nose and all of her top lip, the middle of her face was completely gone. There was just a stub left, like a skeleton.
“She lost an eye, lost an ear, had huge chunks out of her head, and at the back of her skull around her neck that was all down to the bone.”
Shirley passed away on December 20 from pneumonia and sepsis, 17 days into the hospital battle to treat her “horrific, life-changing injuries”.
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Dementia 'blessing'
9
9The great-great-grandmother, who underwent 18 operations while in a medically induced coma, was unaware of the true scale of the horror that happened to her due to suffering from dementia.
Gail says: “When she came out of the coma, she opened her eyes and said, ‘Hi Gail, love you babes’. She was heavily sedated with painkillers and didn’t say a lot.
“The only thing that’s kept me sane is that because of her dementia, her short-term memory was bad. She had forgotten what happened to her within minutes.
The only thing that’s kept me sane is that because of her dementia, her short-term memory was bad. She had forgotten what happened to her within minutes. I was told that's what kept her alive for so long
“I was told that’s what kept her alive for so long – they say if she knew, she would have died from shock. She didn’t know the extent of her wounds.
“Even when they were preparing to take her down to theatre, she thought she was going to see a show. She didn’t remember what had happened.”
Two deaths streets away
After Shirley’s attack on December 3, Gwent Police seized and destroyed the dog – an American Bully XL cane corso cross.
They arrested four people on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury and were released under conditional bail.
Gwent Police told us that 17 dogs had been seized in Caerphilly South so far this year on suspicion of being illegal breeds – nine have been released to their owners and the rest are under investigation.
Shirley's death happened just over a year after another tragedy just two streets away, and now some fear the area is a "hotspot" for dangerous dogs.
In November 2021, schoolboy Jack Lis, 10, was mauled to death by an American Bully XL called 'Beast' at a friend’s home.
The youngster died shortly after the attack having suffered “catastrophic and un-survivable injuries”.
Both killings have shaken the community to its core.
Six of the 10 fatal dog attacks last year were at the hands of dogs with American Bully XL DNA.
The strong, muscular dogs that have grown massively in popularity stem from Pitbull Terriers, one of four banned breeds in the UK.
In the wake of the deaths, Gail insists the breed “should be banned” because they are “too dangerous” – and many in the UK seem to agree.
If I can save a few lives by talking about it, it doesn't feel like my mam died in vain
But the RSPCA disagrees, believing there should be a focus on "deed not breed". It “strongly opposes” any legislation that adds further breeds to the prohibited list.
Dr Sam Gaines, Head of Companion Animals at the RSPCA, tells The Sun: “There have been calls to add XL Bullies, but what we know from evidence around dog bites and fatalities is that breed is not a good predictor of risk.
“The danger of focusing on types of dog… it’s misleading the public by saying ‘those types of dog are dangerous and any other dog is safe’.
“Any dog has the potential to bite, lots of dogs can cause serious harm by biting. There’s a population of around 10million dogs in the UK and the vast majority live harmoniously and go to great lengths to avoid biting people.”
Instead, the RSPCA wants a licencing scheme introduced which could crack down on illegal breeding, offer free training to owners and fund research into why attacks happen.
But for families like Gail's who have lost loved ones to a dog attack, it's little comfort.
'Fulfilled mum's lifelong wish'
Gail buried her mum and dad’s ashes together at a joint plot on March 1, their wedding anniversary.
She’s yet to accept what happened, but takes solace in knowing she fulfilled her lifelong dream of travelling in a white carriage pulled by horses to her final resting place.
It was accomplished at her funeral thanks to fundraising efforts in Caerphilly and on GoFundMe, which brought in £2,100 – as well as kind-hearted locals offering discounts for their services.
Gail claims two friends with American Bullies surrendered their pets to shelters after Shirley's death due to feeling concerned for their safety.
She is outspoken about the risks she believes are linked to the breed, insisting: “They should definitely be muzzled and on leads when they are outside and shouldn’t be allowed inside a household around children or anyone vulnerable.
“You can’t even take them for a walk, they take you. They are so strong, you can see their muscles, they are huge. Their front paws are massive too. They are a status symbol.”
Gail says she's often told her “mother would be proud” of her bravery for deciding to speak out.
But for her, she feels compelled as she doesn’t want another family to suffer the same tragedy.
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Becoming tearful, she says: "If I can save a few lives by talking about it, it doesn't feel like my mam died in vain.
"I don't want her to have died in vain."
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