A dog being walked by a 28-year-old dog walker who was mauled to death in Caterham on Thursday by a pack she was hired to walk formerly appeared on a BBC show for troublesome pooches with her psychic owner.
An 11-stone Leonberger named Shiva is believed to be among eight dogs seized by police at the scene of the tragedy, with eyewitnesses describing the dogwalker being attacked by at least four of the animals.
Shiva’s owner Delia Lewis, here pictured for the first time, posted on social media after the incident that her dog, whose name she had to change due to her unruly behaviour, was ‘one of the ones missing’.
She added: ‘She’s a Leonberger, please if you have any information please tell me where to go or what to do.’
Shiva, an 11st Leonburger, was among eight hounds with the victim – and was a troublesome puppy who chewed anything she could get her paws on
Delia Lewis, a psychic and crystal healer, posted online that her dog is ‘missing’ in the aftermath of the incident
Armed officers were called to reports of a dog attacking members of the public in the remote beauty spot Gravelly Hill in Caterham at 2.45pm on Thursday.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics, a 28-year-old woman from London died at the scene.
A second woman who received treatment for dog bites has since been discharged from hospital.
It is understood the force is looking into whether the victim, who has not yet been identified, was a registered dog-walker.
When much younger, Shiva appeared in a BBC2 programme, 10 Puppies and Us, about unruly puppies who chew through furniture.
Ms Lewis, a telephone psychic living in Croydon at the time of the 2017 show, originally decided to call her dog Maple before deciding it was ‘far too sweet a name for this dog’.
She instead renamed the pooch Shiva, which is a name shared by the Hindu god of destruction.
Ms Lewis said on the programme: ‘I thought Maple is far too sweet a name for this dog.
Shiva (left) appeared on a BBC Two show about unruly pups with her owner Ms Lewis
Ms Lewis initially had problems housetraining young Shiva, who used to go to the toilet wherever she wanted
The Leonberger was a tiny puppy in the series, but is now thought to weigh around 11 stone
A woman lays flowers where the dog mauling took place as she pays her respects to the 28-year-old victim
Ms Lewis is a professional psychic who also reads tarot and studies astrology – and has reportedly been a psychic to the stars
Shiva was described by Wimbledon Veterinary Surgery as having the ‘sweetest nature ever’
‘I mean, don’t get me wrong, she is sweet, but, like, she’s not that sweet.’
Shiva was described as chewing anything she could get her paws on, from the carpet to the bins.
Ms Lewis describes herself as an international psychic and qualified crystal healer, and has reportedly worked with TV personalities, celebrities, influencers, performing artists and CEOs.
She has also been hired by major companies such as Marvel Studios, Disney and Estee Lauder.
She first began communicating with spirits at just five years old, and also reads tarot and studies astrology.
Her social media pages are full of photos of her beloved Shiva, and it is unclear at this time whether her pet was involved in the incident or not.
In 2020, Shiva was described by her vet in Wimbledon as a ‘giant girl’ with ‘the sweetest nature ever’.
A source close to the case previously the dog walker had too many dogs under her control: ‘She just had too many dogs. You cannot be in control with that amount of dogs. If something happens, it’s like having seven small wolves attacking you.
‘The dogs were in a frenzy, acting as a pack, and going for whatever was in front of them.’
One of the dogs had moments earlier attacked and bitten another woman who was walking her own dog – and she fled, injured.
Exactly how the horror unfolded remains unclear at this time.
A 60-year-old woman on horseback saw something of it as she approached the brow of a hill at 2.30pm on the North Downs Way – a bridle path at Gravelly Hill, near Caterham, Surrey – flanked by a grass bank and bushes and trees.
Surrounded by dogs pulling frenziedly at her limbs, a blonde woman wearing a beige jacket was on the ground, sitting but never quite managing to stand up. She never did.
‘When we saw her she was about 50ft away,’ the horsewoman told The Mail on Sunday.
‘She was swamped by at least four medium-sized dogs, maybe more, attacking her, pulling her at arms and sides and she was screaming and shouting.’ But perhaps surprisingly, there was no barking, a chilling detail that adds another layer to the horror.
Another woman was hospitalised and eight dogs were recovered at the scene after police responded following the attack at 2.45pm Thursday
Police at the remote spot Gravelly Hill in Caterham, Surrey, where a 28-year-old woman was mauled to death by the dogs she was walking
Horrified sources have recalled the sheer terror of the dog walker, 28, who tried to keep onlookers away even as the animals – who were ‘like a pack of wolves’ – attacked her in the remote beauty spot Gravelly Hill in Caterham at 2.45pm on Thursday
Police were called, arriving half an hour after the initial attack in several cars carrying armed officers and paramedics
The horsewoman, who believes she was the last person to see the victim alive, added: ‘The dogs must have been on the lead because they were in such close proximity.
‘I don’t know why they kicked off the way they did. Maybe a couple were fighting with each other and she tried to intervene, and she got in the way and they saw red and just kept going.
‘When she saw us she shouted: “Turn back, turn back!”.’
None of the dogs seized by police are classed as dangerous, with breeds including two dachshunds, a cockapoo, a collie and Shiva the Leonberger.
Police officers rounded up any loose dogs following the tragedy. All are now in the hands of the police, their fate unknown, as they are assessed by canine specialists.
Surrey Police lifted cordons in the area of the attack late on Friday and have contacted all of the owners of the dogs seized.
The victim’s next of kin have been informed and a post mortem is due to take place in the next few days.
Detective Inspector Josephine Horner, Senior Investigating Officer, said: ‘This is a tragic incident where a young woman has sadly lost her life. Our thoughts remain with her family and friends and the family have asked that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.
‘Specialist teams have been carrying out forensic work at the scene but this has now been completed and the area has re-opened to the public.
‘I know this incident has caused real concerns locally and officers from the local neighbourhood team will be out in the area to provide reassurance for residents.
‘The investigation to establish the circumstances around this incident continue and I urge anyone with information who has not yet spoken to police to contact us.’
‘I don’t know what is going to happen,’ said one of the owners last night. ‘I know the victim who died – she’s a friend – so I don’t want to say more.’
The second woman injured in the attack is said to have been walking her own small dog on a lead when two of the dogs ran towards her.
One is said to have attacked the woman, who quickly scooped up her small dog, leaving her with multiple wounds.
Shaun Hesmondhalgh, one of the country’s leading dangerous dog experts, has warned that there are no entry requirements for dog walkers. He said the Government should look at limiting the number of dogs one dog walker can take out.
Currently, each council is responsible for deciding rules around dog walking; including how many dogs one person can handle at once. In the Surrey district of Tandridge, where this incident took place, walkers must apply for an annual licence costing £156.50 and are allowed to walk only six dogs at once.
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