Father attacked by dogs at bus stop on Detroit’s west side

DETROIT – Harold Phillips is in the hospital after he was attacked by three dogs Monday night in Detroit.

The incident occurred on West Chicago and Longacre Street at 8:15 p.m. on Monday (Jan. 29) when Phillips, 35, was walking home after getting off the bus.

According to Detroit Animal Control and Care (DACC), three Pitbull-mix dogs got out of a fenced yard in the 9400 block of Longacre and attacked Phillips.

Phillips’ wife of 11 years, Shauntay Phillips, told Local 4 her husband’s right arm was amputated; he’s on dialysis, has had several blood transfusions, and is currently in a medical-induced coma. Together they have six children.

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The Phillips family hired Fieger Law, which is doing its own investigation.

“Some of the things we have begun to uncover is shocking and we will be looking for accountability for all those that bear responsibility into this horrific tragedy,” said James Harrington, vice president and managing partner of Fieger Law.

The three dogs involved have since been euthanized. A fourth dog was taken from the home and is in quarantine. The dog owners, a husband and wife, both received five citations DACC: failure to have a dog license, failure to have rabies shots, dog loose off property—a direct violation of the leash law, over the legal limit of dogs on property (two per home) and failure to prevent menacing/dangerous behavior.

Detroit Police Department is also investigating the situation.

DACC told Local 4 that the dog owners were ticketed in 2021 after one of the three dogs involved in the attack in January 2024 bit a family member. It was not a severe bite, but an investigation revealed the dog was provoked.

Detroit City Councilman Fred Durhal III, who represents the district this recent attack happened in, said, “It’s just disheartening, and my heart and prayers go out to his (Phillips) family.”

This comes less than six months after four-year-old Lovell Anderson was killed in a separate dog attack where the dog got out of a fenced area.

“These two incidents together, within my district in the last six months, identified we have a real problem in the city of Detroit with responsible pet ownership as it pertains to dogs,” Durhal said.

He outlined an urgent five-point plan:

1. Microchipping on Demand: Enhancing Pet Identification
2. Breeder’s Licensing: Curbing Illegal Breeding
3. City-Wide Information Campaign

• Launching an educational campaign to promote responsible dog ownership and the necessity of pet registration and microchipping.

4. Simplifying Dog Registration

• Introduction of an online portal to facilitate the registration process, fostering better management and owner accountability

5. Advocating for State Law Changes

• Proposing a resolution to the state legislature to grant animal control officers the authority to administer rabies vaccinations and microchips, ensuring better pet tracking and owner responsibility.

For more information, please contact the Councilmember’s office at the details provided above.