A Mississippi animal shelter employee was fatally attacked by two canines under his supervision.
On the afternoon of July 18, Clifford Phillips Jr., 57, was lethally assaulted while employed at Second Chance Animal Alliance, a non-profit organization housing the two canines, in Water Way, according to WREG News.
Dudley Woods said that a dog was already confined in a kennel while an attempt was made to introduce another dog. The second dog attempted to escape, prompting the individual to restrain it with his foot, resulting in the dog seizing his leg and pulling him down.
Subsequently, the other dog leaped in with him. One was a pit bull, and the other was a pit bull mixed breed, and they murdered him. “They recorded everything down there,” he said.
Law enforcement fatally shot one of the dogs to enable first responders to get Phillips and provide aid; unfortunately, he died at the scene, as reported by the North Mississippi Herald and the U.K. publication The Independent.
A male dog instigated the fight and was subsequently killed after the event.
At the time, the facility apparently housed around a dozen pets in addition to the two dogs.
The dogs were confiscated according to a court order concerning animal cruelty and dog fighting, as reported by WREG, referencing Yalobusha County Sheriff Jermain Gooch.
At the time of his assault, Philips had been employed at the animal shelter for two years. According to his obituary, he relocated with his family to Water Valley from Wisconsin in 2007.
“His calm and compassionate disposition facilitated the development of a fondness for animals,” it states. He said that he often felt more at ease with his dogs than with humans, perhaps reminiscing on the time spent with Eon, his cherished childhood dog. His absence will be profoundly felt by those who knew and loved him.