A woman has been acquitted of charges related to owning an XL Bully dog that fatally bit her partner's father. Chanel Fong, 33, was found not guilty by a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court of owning the dog, named Cookie, which was dangerously out of control, and of the alternative charge of being the person in charge of the animal at the time of the incident.
Keven Jones, 62, Fong’s partner’s father, died from severe blood loss after being bitten on the leg in May 2022. The attack occurred before XL Bullies were added to the United Kingdom's list of banned dog breeds.
The court heard that Jones had been in poor health and was taking methadone and blood-thinning medication at the time of the incident. He was staying at Fong’s home in Wrexham when the attack took place. Fong stated that the dog belonged to her partner, Joshua Jones, who was not present when his father was bitten, although the prosecution had argued that Fong was a joint owner of Cookie.
Evidence presented in court indicated that multiple dogs, including two XL Bullies named Fire and Rogue, were present at the residence. Rogue, Cookie’s mother, was in season and kept separate from other dogs. Around 11:30 BST on May 23, 2022, Keven Jones reportedly went to bring Cookie and another dog inside from the garden. He was then heard shouting at Cookie to get off him. Fong also called for the dog to come down from the garden, after which Jones approached her, appearing unsteady on his feet. He indicated to Fong that his leg was bleeding profusely, stating, "he's got me there."
Fong contacted emergency services and attempted to provide first aid, applying pressure to the wound. However, Jones could not be saved. A post-mortem examination concluded that his death was caused by extreme blood loss from dog bites. Cookie was subsequently euthanized.