Man mauled to death by two dogs at Mississippi animal shelter
YALOBUSHA COUNTY, Miss. (WREG) – A man was mauled to death by two dogs while working at a Mississippi animal shelter last Friday.
Clifford Phillips Jr., 57, had worked at the Second Chance Animal Alliance in Yalobusha County for more than two years. The shelter is a non-profit, volunteer-led organization providing care and finding homes for dogs in need.
Clifford Phillips, Jr. (Angela Edwards)
One of Phillips’ neighbors said he was still in shock after learning what happened to Phillips on July 17.
“A friend of mine was actually down there and heard about it when it happened, so he told me about the dogs attacking him,” said Dudley Woods, who said he’s known Phillips for about nine years.
“A dog was already in a pen and he was trying to get another dog in there and the other dog tried to run out and he tried to hold him off with his foot and that dog grabbed his leg, pulled him down. And then the other dog jumped in with him. One of them was a pit, and the other was a pit mixed breed, and they killed him. They got it all on tape down there,” said Woods.
On Thursday, the shelter was closed and no one was available to talk about the tragedy.
Photo by WREG
Photo by WREG
Second Chance Animal Alliance Photo by WREG
Yalobusha County Sheriff Jermain Gooch told the North Mississippi Herald the two dogs involved were among more than a dozen sheltered at the facility. They are connected to a court-ordered seizure involving animal abuse and dog fighting, he said.
According to the newspaper, one of the dogs that attacked Phillips was shot and killed so that first responders could reach Phillips to render aid, but Phillips died on the scene. The male dog that initiated the attack was reportedly euthanized over the weekend.
Charles Phillips, mourning the death of his older brother, said Clifford loved animals but wondered if the tragedy could have been avoided.
“I went out and picked his vehicle up and his last paycheck, but she said, ‘I’m sorry I have no words for it,’ but she said, ‘I’m so sorry for your loss and everything,'” said Charles Phillips.
“They’ve always done good. They’ve took a lot of strays and puppies and stuff from around here and they’ve always done good with that,” he added.
A memorial service was held for Phillips on Thursday.
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