Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Alabama Couple for Failing to Restrain ‘Vicious’ Dog That Killed 2-year-old Boy

Melissa and Jeffrey Phillips, the parents of a 2-year-old son in Alabama who died after a dog attacked him while he was visiting a neighbor’s house in March, have been sued for wrongful death.

Turning herself in to police at the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Melissa Phillips was charged with death by a dangerous dog. Her boyfriend bears the same charge.

A copy of the July 19 lawsuit Law&Crime obtained on Monday claims wrongful death and states that the youngster, Mark Allen Partain, was “attacked and bitten by the defendant’s dog,” which they characterized as “vicious and dangerous,” on March 1 in New Hope, Alabama. The parents assert that the Phillips family lets their dog go free.

Jason and Kayla Partain, the boy’s parents, claim the Phillips did not adequately restrain their dog and that their behavior was wanton and careless.

Local CBS station WHNT said that police claimed when they answered a call regarding a child being bit at a house on Christian Road in New Hope came on the site, the child was already dead. A coroner verified lethal bite wounds as the cause of death.

March that the dog was a husky, although the Partains’ lawsuit does not identify the particular breed. Investigators from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office claimed two dogs from neighbors’ houses were hauled in by animal control because of their possible role in the tragic attack.

Additionally discovered that a third dog was thought to be connected with the attack on the boy. Every one of the three dogs was put to death. Two months before Partain passed away, one of the three dogs engaged in another separate biting episode.

According to Lawandcrime, On Monday, Melissa and Jeffrey Phillips were not easily reachable for comments. Emily’s Law, which entered into force in Alabama in 2018, ensures that dog owners there might be held accountable for harmful canines.