Latest news with #CharlotteSipson
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Heavily pregnant woman watched on helplessly as her beloved pet was killed by an out-of-control dog before 'owner took off with hound without saying a word'
A heavily pregnant woman has been left traumatised after her beloved dog was mauled to death in front of her by an out-of-control hound. Charlotte Sipson was walking her pet, a Havanese called Max, with a friend on Bristol's Harbourside when the horror unfolded. Charlotte's dog was suddenly set upon by a much larger animal, which was off its lead with no owner in sight. After Charlotte and her friend, who had a 14-month-old child with her, eventually managed to free Max from the attacking dog's jaws, it began circling some children nearby. The attacking dog's owner, who was described as 'heavily tattooed' and topless, eventually emerged but ran off with the animal without saying anything or apologising to Charlotte. Charlotte, who is due to give birth in November, rushed Max to a vets in Imperial Park, Hartcliffe, but he was dead by the time they arrived from a suspected punctured lung. The shocking incident has left Charlotte's fiancé, Joe McKenna, not only concerned about her but also about the impact the attack may have had on their unborn baby. 'She's in bits,' Joe said. 'It was highly traumatic, and obviously, I'm nervous because of the stress on the baby. For us it's been quite a big emotional toll.' Joe said both he and Charlotte were heartbroken their child would never get to meet Max, who was particularly vulnerable as he was 11 years old and blind as well as much smaller than his aggressor. 'He was the cutest dog, like butter wouldn't melt,' Joe said. The exact breed of the guilty animal is not known, but Joe described it as grey, short-haired and 'massively muscly'. While Joe couldn't be sure, he said the dog resembled an XL Bully, a breed banned in the UK which has been responsible for fatal attacks on humans, including the horrific death of 19-year-old Morgan Dorsett in Withywood in February 2025. With the dog who killed Max apparently still on the loose, Joe said he was worried the next incident it was involved in could be even worse, especially with so many children enjoying the sun during their summer holidays. 'I think the main thing we're scared about is this happening to other people or children,' he said. 'Quite frankly it's a danger to the public.' 'It's the summer holidays, the kids are everywhere. It's been the Balloon Fiesta, so it was super busy and this guy's still out there with this dog, and that scares me.' Joe and Charlotte reported the incident to Avon & Somerset Police and Bristol City Council. A police spokesperson confirmed they were investigating the incident. 'On Saturday morning we received a report that a dog had been attacked by a grey pitbull-type dog at about 4pm the previous day (Friday 8 August) in Hanover Place,' the spokesperson said. 'Sadly, the dog died of its injuries shortly after the incident. No person was injured.' 'The owner of the other dog was reported to have left the scene with the dog after the incident. They are described as white, aged in their 30s, heavily tattooed and about 5ft 9ins tall.' 'Our investigation is under way, and we would ask anyone with any information to call 101 and give the call handler the reference number 5225226207.'
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Dog owners hold back tears after fatal Bristol harbourside attack
The owners of a blind dog that was mauled to death by a grey Pitbull-type dog said the attack "came absolutely out of nowhere".Charlotte Sipson was walking her 11-year-old dog Max by Bristol's harbourside on Friday when the bigger dog "clamped its jaw" around the partner Joe McKenna held back tears as he said Max "didn't have to go like that".Ms Sipson, who is seven months pregnant, told the BBC the owner left the scene with the dog after the journalist: Ross Pollard
BBC News
11-08-2025
- BBC News
Dog mauled to death during walk on Bristol Harbourside
A dog has been mauled to death while on a mid-afternoon walk along Bristol's Max, who was blind and weighed just eight kilograms (1st 3lbs), died after being attacked by a grey Pitbull-type dog at about 16:00 BST on Friday in Hanover Place, next to Bristol are investigating and Max's owners Charlotte Sipson, 32, and Joe McKenna, 34, have spoken out to warn others using the waterfront route about the "dangerous" dog, which left the scene with its owner after the attack. "I'm just so scared that this dog's still out there because the way that he came in and hit Max like a bus [...] he could do that to anybody," said Ms Sipson. Ms Sipson and Max had been walking with a friend and friend's newborn baby when suddenly the dog came "out of nowhere, like a bolt from the blue". "It went straight for Max and attacked him, clamped his jaws around [him] and wouldn't let go," said Mr McKenna, describing how Ms Sipson and her friend had been forced to fend the dog off, even attempting to prise its jaws it had dropped Max a few people attempted to apprehend the dog, before it began circling a group of small children. It was at this point, Ms Sipson said, that the owner - described as heavily-tattooed, white, in his 30s and about 1.75 metres (5ft 9ins) tall - appeared "out of nowhere". "He grabbed the dog by the scruff of the neck and fled the scene [...] didn't stop, say sorry or give any details - literally just kind of got [him] and ran," Mr McKenna said. "The owner's clearly not in control, clearly doesn't care," he added. "There was no collar, there's no lead on this thing - it's allowed to roam free and that's dangerous." "The harbourside is just not somewhere you would expect for this to happen and there's so many people walking their dogs with their families that I just think people need to be aware," Ms Sipson, who is also seven months pregnant, added. A number of people at the marina, as well as concerned passers-by, came to her aid at the time of the incident - with some attempting to follow the dog before it disappeared. Another witness who had parked nearby took Ms Sipson to the vets, while others offered describing what they had seen. 'Really quite graphic' "Everybody was so helpful [...] it was such a scary situation so I feel grateful that everybody stayed to help," Ms Sipson said. "It makes you feel like there are some good people in the world." Avon and Somerset Police is investigating the incident, with witnesses who have not already done so urged to contact the force. But even with the dog still on the loose, Ms Sipson and Mr McKenna are now having to come to terms with Max's loss, describing him as the "sweetest, calmest" dog and "happiest little chap". "The flashbacks of the actual attack are quite hard to deal [with] - I'm going to have to find a way to kind of compartmentalize it because it was really quite graphic," Ms Sipson said. Mr McKenna added: "Max had had cancer and he had diabetes he'd gone blind and he'd been through all of that - we were desperate for him to meet our baby which is due in November and now he won't get that chance."
