79-Year-Old Clifford Clarke ‘Eaten Alive’ By Dog, Owners Jailed

Clifford Clarke, 79, a retired hospital porter in the UK was literally “eaten alive” by his neighbors’ dog after the women left the animal unshaded on a hot day without enough food or water.

The two women — Hayley Sulley, 30, and Della Woods, 29, were sentenced to 12 months in prison on Tuesday for their role in the 2013 dog attack.

Clarke was mauled by the Presa Canario dog in his Liverpool garden, the Independent reports, adding that it occurred “after he opened his back door as he cooked a meal on a hot day in May last year.”

The dog — Charlie — escaped and made his way into the garden while his owners were away at a barbecue.

Tests later confirmed that Charlie didn’t have the cool environment, nor the food and water he needed, and hadn’t “for several hours” leading up to the attack.

A neighbor of Clifford Clarke called the police when he heard screams coming from the house. He was “reportedly horrified when he saw the pensioner on the floor being dragged and mauled” by the animal, the site states.

Police arrived at the scene and shot Charlie dead. Clarke was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Just to give you an idea of what one of these animals looks like, here’s a pic unrelated to the dog attack.

According to the Independent, “Both women wept in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court as Judge Mark Brown told them Mr Clarke’s death was ‘entirely avoidable.'”

Unfortunately, there are a lot of “entirely avoidable” dog attack reports in the United States each year. According to a recent report from the US Postal Service, more than 4.5 million Americans are victimized in such incidents.

The survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that dog attacks make up 5 percent of all emergency room visits.

Said Postal Service Manager of Safety Linda DeCarlo: “There’s a myth we often hear at the Postal Service. ‘Don’t worry — my dog won’t bite.’ Dog attacks are a nationwide issue and not just a postal problem. Any dog can bite and all attacks are preventable through responsible pet ownership.”

Additionally, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons said that there was 26,935 cases where people came in for reconstructive procedures due to their injuries in 2013 from dog bites.

In the case of Clifford Clarke, do you think that the dog owners should have been jailed? Also, do you think that dog owners should face criminal charges whenever a dog attack results in serious injury or death? Sound off in the comments section.

[Image via The Independent, linked above]