A mother of one died after her pet dog bit her arm and severed an artery during a fight with another dog over chicken nuggets, an inquest has heard.
Michelle Hempstead, 34, was throwing McDonald's nuggets to her two dogs, a Pomeranian called Pom and a mastiff rottweiler cross named Trigg, at her flat in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, on July 29 last year. The larger dog, Trigg, snapped at Pom and caught Ms Hempstead's upper left arm, severing an artery.
Essex senior coroner Lincoln Brookes told the hearing in Chelmsford that Pom 'had a go at Trigg' and Trigg 'did go to bite him or snap at him, and this is a big dog with big jaws'. He described Trigg as 'an otherwise gentle giant'.
Ms Hempstead was taken to the Royal London Hospital but died the following day from traumatic blood loss leading to multiple organ failure. Her then partner, Samuel West, said it was an 'absolute freak accident' and that Trigg 'didn't have a bad bone in his body'.
Mr West said Ms Hempstead had bought a box of 20 nuggets and liked to throw them in the air. He said Pom would growl and snap to get the nugget first, and as Pom went for one, 'Trigg's done this thing where he chomps his mouth' and caught her under the arm.
Recording a conclusion of accidental death, Mr Brookes said: 'Michelle Hempstead died of the consequences of traumatic blood loss following a single bite from her large dog in her home which severed an artery. The bite was not malicious and occurred when she was caught during a brief fight between her two dogs over food.' He also noted the family had suffered a 'terrible bereavement' weeks earlier with the death of Ms Hempstead's daughter.
