All four dogs of woman killed by her XL bully on her birthday have been destroyed, police reveal – as victim’s sister leads emotional family vigil as hundreds of balloons are released
Four dogs found in the home of an Irish woman who was mauled to death have been killed by authorities, it emerged last night as mourners held a moving vigil and released balloons in memory of the victim.
Nicole Morey, a native of Limerick city, had returned to a house she was renting in Fedamore, Co, around 11.30pm last Tuesday evening. Limerick, after celebrating her 23rd birthday.
The moment she stepped into her home, she was attacked by two of her four dogs, one of which is an XL Bully and all four of which are considered restricted breeds.
Armed police who arrived on the scene were forced to shoot dead one of the dogs, while the others were subdued with pepper spray – but by the time they arrived Ms Morey was said to have lost an arm and been beaten to death.
A Garda source confirmed last night that ‘all four’ dogs had since been ‘destroyed’ by authorities, as more than 200 people attended a vigil held in Mrs Morey’s memory at her mother Lisa Morey’s home in Bawnmore View, Crossagalla , Limerick. .
Ms Morey’s sister, Jolene Morey, led the countdown at the vigil before hundreds of colored balloons were released into the air and a selection of Ms Morey’s favorite songs were played on a loudspeaker.
Nicole Morey, 23, died on Tuesday after being attacked by her pet in the Fedamore area of Limerick
She often posted videos of her pets on social media
A heartbreaking video has emerged of her dancing with her pet in happier times
Ms Morey’s sister, Jolene Morey, led the countdown at the vigil before hundreds of colored balloons went into the air and a selection of Ms Morey’s favorite songs were played on a loudspeaker
Mourners held a moving vigil and released balloons in memory of the victim
The man who alerted emergency services to the fatal dog attack “did everything he could” to help her, sources close to the investigation into her death said yesterday.
The man had access to a video feed from a security camera from the scene of the attack but was not at the scene and was physically unable to help Ms Morey, who was dead when police arrived.
After calling 999, who in turn alerted gardaí and paramedics, the man then shared the CCTV footage with the victim’s family – alerting them to the incident.
“The person who had access to the (footage) and who saw the incident occur was not near the house and was largely helpless, so they contacted emergency services first,” the source said.
The footage was then widely shared online by unknown parties, leading to a Garda appeal on Wednesday asking people ‘not to share these videos, out of respect for the deceased’.
A senior Garda source confirmed yesterday that ‘all four’ dogs were on a ‘restricted dog breeding list’ and are all banned in Britain.
However, there is no such ban in Ireland.
The senior source confirmed that Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster carried out an autopsy on Ms Morey’s body yesterday.
The source said the autopsy results were ‘not made public for operational reasons’, although gardaí did not suspect foul play in Ms Morey’s death.
XL Bully owner Nicole Morey was killed by her dog as she returned home from a night out
Mrs. Morey is shown with two pets. It is not known if any of the dogs pictured were involved
Nicole Morey was attacked by the dog at a house in Co. at around 11.40pm on Tuesday. Limerick
The 23-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene after the attack on Tuesday evening
Despite efforts by emergency services to save her, Mrs Morey was pronounced dead at the scene.
The senior Garda source said gardaí were aware of speculation about the circumstances of the fatal dog attack. According to them, there are no indications of foul play.
The investigation into Ms Morey’s death continued, led by Roxboro Road Garda Station.
Members of Ms Morey’s family cried and comforted each other last night under a canopy of multi-coloured balloons.
Ms Morey’s death has sparked a debate over whether dogs like the XL Bully, which was suspected of being involved in her death, should be banned.
Rural Affairs Minister Heather Humphreys is responsible for the decision and she set up the Stakeholder Group on Dog Control in March. She has said she will ban certain breeds if recommended by the group.
However, she said she doesn’t expect the group’s recommendations until the fall.
Since its founding in March, the group has met only once; another meeting will take place this month.
Sources in the group have said they are actively considering whether to ban certain dog breeds, as has been done in Britain and the North.
However, others in the group have indicated that it is a ‘hot topic’, and ‘it is not a simple black and white issue, with knock-on effects on every decision’.
As a result of crossbreeding dogs, strains of banned dogs may occur in dogs that are not explicitly on the banned list.