Charlotte Potts, 32, from Hexham, Northumberland, suffered severe injuries requiring surgery after being mauled by her dog, Blue, a one-year-old Cane Corso cross American Bulldog she had adopted via Facebook just three weeks earlier. The attack occurred on July 4, 2026, during a routine walk at an enclosed dog park.
Attack Details
On the morning of the attack, Charlotte took Blue to the enclosed park with her younger brother. While playing fetch, the dog suddenly turned on her. Instead of retrieving the ball, Blue lunged at her legs, ripping through her tracksuit bottoms and puncturing both legs multiple times. Charlotte screamed for her eight-year-old brother to run and call for help. The dog then targeted her right arm; she allowed it to bite her arm while using her left hand to tie the lead to a fence. The entire ordeal lasted approximately eight minutes.
Charlotte said: "I was trying to wrestle him off me and shouting for help. I was in there for seven or eight minutes with him attacking me. If I was there any longer, I wouldn't have made it. My little brother watched it all happen."
Injuries and Hospitalisation
Paramedics transported Charlotte to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, where she underwent two-hour surgery to address wounds on her legs and arm. She was hospitalised for several days and now requires twice-weekly wound dressing changes. She described the bite severity as level five on a six-level scale, where six is fatal. "He pierced my bicep muscle and pierced bits of my thigh," she added.
Charlotte credited her partner Rachel and her kickboxing background for her survival: "I'd still be in hospital if it wasn't for my partner Rachel, and without my kick boxing background I don't think I'd have been strong enough to fight him off."
Prior Police Visit
Days before the attack, police visited Charlotte after an anonymous tip-off that she owned an XL Bully. Officers assessed the dog by photographing his head and determined Blue was an American Bulldog, not an XL Bully, so they did not remove him. Charlotte had previous experience with similar breeds, having owned an American Bulldog cross Mastiff for eight years.
Dog Euthanised
Following the attack, an armed response team arrived, but Blue could not be calmed and was euthanised by police. Charlotte expressed shock: "Everything was fine initially - he settled in well. He was fine on everyday walks and hadn't shown any aggression towards dogs or children beforehand. He was getting four mile walks a day, so it was a big shock when it happened."
Call for Awareness
Charlotte now wants to raise awareness about the importance of fully assessing dogs before rehoming. "I love dogs, but I want to raise awareness around making sure dogs are fully assessed before being rehomed," she said.
