A mother-of-five died one day after being bitten on the arm by her pet dog, an inquest has heard.
Michelle Hempstead, 34, was attacked by the animal in Southend, Essex.
Police have not disclosed the breed of the dog, but previously said it had been assessed as “not a banned breed”.
An inquest, opened and adjourned in Chelmsford on Thursday, heard police found Ms Hempstead with a “laceration to her upper limb” on 29 July this year.
She was taken to Southend Hospital and then transferred to the Royal London Hospital, where she died on 30 July, court co-ordinator Andy Flack said.
A post-mortem examination recorded that Ms Hampstead sustained a “dog bite wound to [her] left upper arm”, he added.
A transection (a cut) of the left axillary artery, a main artery of the arm, also contributed to her death, alongside hypovolemic shock – where a severe loss of blood or other fluids prevents the heart from pumping enough blood – and multi-organ failure.
Lincoln Brookes, senior coroner for Essex, suspended the inquest pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.
He said he would review the suspension after three months and asked for his “deepest condolences” to be shared with the family.
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‘The kindest soul’
A GoFundMe page aiming to raise £8,000 for Ms Hemsptead’s funeral has been launched and describes her as the “kindest soul”.
Her friend, who said she is speaking on behalf of family and friends, wrote: “We are absolutely heartbroken by her absence and we’d like to do her justice by coming together as a community at this unfortunate time.
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“[Michelle] was made of steel, just an incredibly strong [and] resilient woman who everyone adored,” wrote organiser Liah Smith.
“Coming together for her would outline just how special she was.”
Essex Police previously said officers were called to an address in Southend, at 11.30pm on 29 July.
Two dogs were seized from the address, but just one was believed to have been involved in the incident, they added.
