Two pit bulls jump on top of man and rip apart his throat

Summary: An animal rescue shelter employee who loved dogs was fatally mauled by two pit bulls that had been trained to fight.

The incident: When volunteers with the Second Chance Animal Alliance (SCAA), Water Valley, MI, found out that a dog-fighting ring might be operating in the area, they contacted local law enforcement officials.

Sure enough, Yalobusha County investigators discovered that pit bulls were being used for fighting, so they seized several dogs. The animals were taken to the SCAA facility because there was nowhere else to house them.

Clifford Irving Phillips, an SCAA employee, took a special interest in the pit bulls because he loved dogs. One day, Phillips was attempting to get a pit bull back into a kennel when another dog tried to jump through the kennel door.

Phillips pushed the dog back with his foot. But the pit bull bit his boot and knocked him down. As Phillips struggled to get the dog off him, the other animal jumped on him.

Trained to fight, the dogs viciously mauled Phillips and ripped apart his throat.

The response: Police who arrived at the rescue facility a short time later were horrified to see blood splattered all over the kennel and one of the dogs still attacking Phillips.

The dog on top of Phillips was shot dead. The other pit bull was quickly captured and euthanized.

Phillips, 57, was declared dead at the scene due to his severe loss of blood.

The aftermath: “His quiet and caring demeanor helped him foster a love for animals,” read Phillips’ obituary, “and he remarked that he often felt more comfortable around his pets than around people, perhaps recalling the time he spent with Eon, his beloved childhood dog.”

(From the September 29, 2025, issue of Safety Alert for Supervisors. To start your no-obligation trial subscription to the publication right now, please click here.)