A 35-year-old Detroit father of six died four days after three dogs attacked him. Harold Philips was walking home from a bus stop when it happened, his wife, Shauntaye Phillps, recounted. According to the Detroit Animal Control and Care (DACC), three pit bull-mix got out of a fenced yard and attacked him.
After the attack, Phillips was hospitalized. Due to the severity of the attack, the medical team amputated his right arm. Also, they initiated dialysis, performed several blood transfusions, and induced a medical coma.
During an interview, Shauntaye reported, “The dogs bit his groin, his head, his back, his legs; they mauled him.” On Friday, February 2, 2024, Harold’s wife released a statement regarding her husband’s death.
“It’s with deep sadness that I announce Harold’s passing. It’s painful to think of all the important milestones Harold will miss in our children’s lives,” she said. “From our son’s first basketball game this weekend to our daughter’s upcoming daddy-daughter dance that he was looking forward to.”
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“Our lives will never be the same. We are forever grateful for our community’s prayers, donations, and support you’ve given our family,” she continued. The couple’s youngest daughter also said, “I’m heartbroken because I don’t have a father who can take care of me.”
Harold’s son also lamented the tragic death in an interview. “There should be justice. I don’t know what to say,” he said. “It’s my dad, it’s him. He’s not supposed to die like this. He’s too strong.” Following the tragic incident, city officials blamed the dog owners.
Officials said that following the city’s ordinance could have prevented the incident. According to the city’s law, each resident must limit themselves to two dogs and secure them. However, The owners of the dogs that attacked Harold had four.
Also, the authorities euthanized the three dogs involved in the attack and seized the fourth one. Roy Goodman, the owner of the dogs, also mentioned that the dogs have been involved in three other bite cases, including one involving a child.
In 2021, authorities charged Goodman with failing to prevent menacing/dangerous behavior for a separate incident. He pleaded guilty, but the court dismissed the case. Also, that year, authorities charged his wife with harboring dogs over the city’s limit.
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She was a no-show in court and had a warrant for her arrest. Goodman blamed his wife for not putting down the dogs. According to reports, Goodman and his wife have a sign hanging on their front door.
The sign states, “No Entry. 1. No humans of any kind 2. Must have four paws to enter 3. Must speak dog-Latin.” After Harold’s attack and subsequent death, the Goodmans received ten citations at $500 each, totaling $5,000 in fines.
In addition, Goodman apologized to Harold’s family. “Nothing I can do can make this right, but if there’s anything I can do, I will,” he said. In response, Harold’s family has initiated legal action against the city of Detroit and Goodman.
James Harrington, an attorney from Fieger Law, is representing the family. His investigations reportedly revealed the bite histories of the dogs. He believes the DACC knew how dangerous the dogs were and did nothing.
“We’ve started our investigation, although in a short period, it has been very thorough. Some of the things we’ve begun to uncover are shocking,” Harrington said. Moreover, the incident underscores the critical importance of responsible pet ownership and adherence to local safety regulations to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
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