Police have released the name of a mother who was beaten to death by her own dog at home.
Michelle McLeod, 41, was pronounced dead at a flat in Foresterhill Road, Aberdeen, on Saturday after emergency services raced there at around 11.15pm.
The mother’s heartbroken family have now paid tribute to her and revealed their devastation.
Police Scotland confirmed that the dog – whose breed has not been confirmed – had been euthanised.
In a statement, Mrs McLeod’s loved ones said: ‘We are devastated by the loss of Michelle.
‘She was a beloved mother, daughter and friend to many and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
“We would ask that our privacy is respected and that we can grieve during this very difficult time.”
Neighbors last night claimed the tragedy occurred just months after the gray dog was reported to police and the city’s dog warden after the ‘aggressive’ animal attacked another pet in July.
Michelle McLeod, 41, died on Saturday after being mauled by a dog believed to be her pet at home in Aberdeen
Mrs McLeod was tragically pronounced dead at a house on Foresterhill Road – her family have now paid tribute
Dog owner Ryan Gray, 25, said he was out with his ten-year-old collie, Clyde, when Bailey lunged at his pet and punctured his neck, leaving him with a £180 vet bill.
He said: ‘Even with a muzzle he managed to grab my dog’s neck. I really felt like the dog was trying to kill him. I really begged her to get it [Bailey] out.’
Mr Gray, who was also injured trying to pull out his pet dog’s teeth, told how Ms McLeod struggled to control the muscular pet and shouted at him and others to get their dogs away from him keep.
But he said: ‘It’s really terrible what happened. No one deserves this to happen to them. I never wanted to put that dog down; I would have liked to see him go to someone who could have controlled him better.
‘He was only a year and a half old, so still just a puppy. This should never have happened.’
Despite the animal’s behavior towards other dogs and people, he said it was ‘so defensive towards Michelle – she was its mother’.
Another resident, who did not want to be named, said she was afraid to leave her home when Bailey was outside.
She said: ‘I just stayed inside because I got really nervous when I saw it because it looked so aggressive.
‘He did have a snout, but I’ve seen him walk on a leash before. She and her boyfriend would be walking around here.”
Neighbors said they were shocked to hear of Ms McLeod’s death, with many unaware of what had happened.
Neighbors said they were shocked by the 41-year-old’s death (pictured)
One said: ‘The first we knew something had happened was when there were five or six police cars and an ambulance in the street.
“But we never heard anything, which is surprising considering what happened. But I didn’t see anyone leaving in the ambulance. Bless her, it’s horrible.’
The incident is the latest in a series of dog attacks that have resulted in deaths in Britain this year.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 16 deaths from dog attacks in 2023, a sharp increase from previous years when the number was in single digits.
In February, it became a criminal offense in England and Wales to own an XL bully dog without a certificate.
It is now also a criminal offense to sell or abandon an XL Bully Dog, or allow it to wander, and it is illegal to have an XL Bully in public without a leash and muzzle.
Owners whose dogs become dangerously out of control are considered violators of the law, and penalties may be imposed, including imprisonment, disqualification from owning the dog, or euthanasia of the dog.
Also in Scotland it is a criminal offense to own an XL Bully unless an exemption has been granted. The maximum penalty is a fine of £5,000 and six months’ imprisonment.
Aberdeen City Council was contacted for comment.