Mississippi animal shelter employee mauled to death by 2 dogs
A man was mauled to death by two dogs while working at a Mississippi animal shelter, local news outlets reported.
The employee, Clifford Phillips Jr., 57, was trying to put a dog in a pen that was already occupied when he was attacked, his friend told WREG of Memphis, Tennessee. The incident occurred on July 17 at Second Chance Animal Alliance.
“A dog was already in a pen and he was trying to put another dog in there and the other dog tried to run out,” Dudley Woods said. “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.”
Woods said one of the dogs was a pit bull and the other was a “pit mixed breed.” He said the incident was caught on security video inside the shelter.
The Yalobusha County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
The shelter said in a July 25 statement that it was “devastated by this loss.”
“It has been one week since the death at the shelter of our friend and employee Cliff Phillips. … While we cannot address every question or rumor we have seen over this past week, we have cooperated with local officials,” the shelter said. “Please know that we take the safety and security of our volunteers and employees seriously. We are proud of the work we do in our community and will remain vigilant as we continue to do it.”
