Wife Claire Bridger stabs her estranged husband after discovering he put their dogs down.

Dog Owner Stabs Estranged Husband After Euthanizing Pets

A devastated dog owner in Britain reportedly stabbed her estranged husband after he told her he had euthanized their two rescue dachshunds.

Claire Bridger, 64, is facing charges of attempted murder for allegedly attacking her husband, Keith Bridger, during a visit at their Norfolk home on July 17, 2025. According to reports, the couple had been married for nearly 40 years.

In court, Claire, who works as a registered school nurse, expressed her struggles with the separation leading up to the incident, noting that she had been prescribed medication and took a leave from work. She described how she felt completely overwhelmed after learning about the dogs’ deaths.

Claire stated that stress, coupled with alcohol consumption, contributed to her “temporary amnesia.” She claimed that she became “red-eyed” upon hearing the news regarding the dachshunds.

She clarified that while she did not intend to kill Keith, she did mean to harm him.

The couple adopted one rescue dog in March 2020, just before the pandemic lockdown began, and brought home the other a year later.

The stabbing incident occurred approximately a year after their separation, during which time the dogs remained with Keith. Lacking the means to care for them in his one-bedroom home, Keith opted to euthanize the dogs after attempts to find them new homes failed.

Claire indicated that her daughter had warned her she needed to return home, suggesting the dogs were facing difficult circumstances that could lead to their euthanization. Keith ultimately made the decision to put the puppies down.

Claire expressed disbelief over the necessity of this decision, saying she thought it was simply an invitation to come home.

On the day of the attack, Claire immediately sensed something was off when she arrived at Keith’s house. “There was no barking,” she recalled, indicating something was wrong.

Keith had just come back from riding his motorcycle when Claire confronted him about the dogs. She repeatedly asked for them, but he remained silent. That only heightened her anxiety.

She recounted how, during their conversation, Keith informed her of the dogs’ fate, saying she had already received a message from the vet. Claire’s recollection is that “her head was exploding” upon learning the news, and she felt faint.

She insisted that she never intended to harm him, recalling a moment of confusion before losing consciousness. Her next memory was being pulled away from Keith by a neighbor, after which she screamed, “You killed my dog!” in a fit of rage.

Keith sustained life-threatening injuries and required treatment at the scene.

Claire explained that the knife used in the attack was in her car, having been intended for a trip to dispose of garbage. She mentioned that it fell from her bag when she was getting into the car and didn’t think much of it at the time.

Keith testified that he hadn’t informed Claire about the euthanization of the puppies, as he believed she was already aware of their situation due to previous rehoming attempts.