A Gold Coast man has been charged with rape and murder following the death of a mother and anti-domestic violence campaigner.

Jacob Michael Smith, 38, was tracked to a Gold Coast property less than 24 hours after being named as a person of interest.

He was allegedly one of the last people to visit Anthea Mari before the 34-year-old mother of four died at her inner-city Brisbane home early on Tuesday.

Smith suffered a dog bite during his dramatic arrest on Wednesday before he was taken to Brisbane’s Dutton park police station.

He will face Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with murder, deprivation of liberty, attempt to murder and rape offences.

Detective Inspector Rod Kemp would not confirm reports the victim was strangled to death before a housemate found her dead.

Smith has been described as a “friend”.

Two of Ms Mari’s children, who were sleeping in the Norman Park home on the night of her death, have received counselling.

Micah Projects welfare co-ordinator Karyn Walsh said Ms Mari had sought help from the community group before she became an advocate against domestic violence.

“She was a woman with her children who accessed services,” she told AAP.

“Like many women who have been through the fear of domestic violence she was very passionate about wanting to tell other women to seek help.”

Staff at Micah Projects who knew Ms Mari are “deeply saddened and shocked by the way that she died”.

“And mostly for the children that now don’t have a mother,” Ms Walsh said.