A Cardiff woman has been left permanently scarred and deeply traumatised after being viciously attacked by both a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and its owner. Michelle Pring sustained significant injuries in the incident, which unfolded last year in the city’s Caerau area. The distressing case was heard this week at Newport Crown Court, where harrowing details of the attack were explored, highlighting the devastating physical and emotional impact on the victim.
The events date back to 3 May 2023, when Ms Pring encountered Tracie Harrison, 47, and another woman while walking along Heol Trelai with a male companion. Harrison, who was in control of her nine-year-old dog, Fade, was accompanied by her friend. A verbal argument soon escalated into violence, with Harrison allegedly dragging Pring by her hair before the situation spiralled further out of control.
Attempting to escape the assault, Ms Pring sought refuge in a nearby garden. However, Harrison and her companion pursued her, continuing to strike and kick the terrified woman. As chaos broke out, Fade – still on a lead at this point – began to attack Ms Pring, latching onto her legs and later her arm, leaving her with multiple deep puncture wounds.
Disturbingly, the court heard that the attack was captured on a neighbour’s mobile phone, which was later presented as evidence. In the footage, Ms Pring could be heard pleading for help, frantically shouting to Harrison, “Please, Trace, he’s chewing my legs, get him off me, somebody please help me.” Despite the victim’s desperate cries, neither Harrison nor her companion intervened to restrain the dog or halt the ongoing assault.
Ms Pring described the ordeal in court, explaining that the pain of the dog bite was so intense it felt as though her attacker’s pet was “eating her”. She recalled eventually losing consciousness and was unable to remember when or how the mauling ended.
Emergency services responded to the scene, and Ms Pring was transported to hospital with a laceration to her forehead and eye, severe wounds to her left arm and both legs, and a particularly deep laceration on her right leg. Medical staff treated her injuries, including a skin graft, but she later self-discharged and subsequently developed sepsis as a result of infection. Her wounds have left her with permanent physical scars and considerable psychological trauma.
In the months since the incident, Ms Pring has struggled to return to any sense of normality, telling the court, “Every time I see a dog, I am petrified and worry they will savage me again… I think about that night all the time.” She explained that she is now unable to go out alone at night, suffers anxiety in public, and avoids wearing clothing that would reveal her scars due to intrusive questions and comments.
Harrison, of Heol Trelai, Cardiff, later admitted to being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog which caused injury. The court was told she had 13 prior convictions, including a similar offence in 2015. Through her barrister, Kirsten Murphy, the defendant expressed remorse and stressed she had previously seen no signs of aggression in Fade during the nine years the dog lived with her. Murphy said that Harrison endured challenges as a single parent, had suffered domestic violence, and was dealing with poor mental health following family tragedies.
Nonetheless, Judge Carl Harrison ruled that the explanation for Fade’s behaviour could be linked to the defendant’s own actions during the altercation. As the magnitude of the attack became clear, the Judge ordered Harrison to serve two years in prison and banned her from keeping a dog for 15 years. The court also issued a destruction order for Fade, a decision the defence did not contest, with Murphy stating Harrison wished to prevent any risk to the public.
The case has raised broader concerns in the community about responsible dog ownership, especially for breeds with strong physical capabilities. It also serves as a reminder of the long-lasting effects violent crime can have on victims, both physically and emotionally. While Harrison faces her punishment, Ms Pring is left to cope with the aftermath of a night that has, in her own words, “totally turned my life upside down.”