Help sought from public in case of animal cruelty

$2,500 reward offered for information leading to conviction of perpetrator(s)

For media questions, please contact Nancy McKenney, Interim Shelter Manager (206) 618-2651 (cell).

King County Animal Care and Control is seeking help from the public to find information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for shooting, abandoning and leaving a dog to die off an embankment on a forest service road in the North Bend area on May 31, 2009. A $2,500 reward is being offered by The Humane Society of the United States.

The black and rust colored 4-year-old Rottweiler survived the initial attack, and was found wearing a pinch collar and tied to a log 20 feet down an embankment at a popular unofficial recreational shooting area. 20 minutes after a group of citizens called King County Animal Care and Control, officers responded to the scene, and quickly took the dog to an Eastside veterinarian to be treated for its injuries.

After an initial surgery and four days of medical care, the dog was unable to recover from being fully paralyzed as a result of his injuries, and had to be euthanized. A King County Animal Care and Control Veterinarian cared for the dog continuously, and even fed the dog by hand for every meal. A necropsy was performed on Friday, June 5, and it was determined that the dog did die as a direct result of his injuries.

King County Animal Care and Control Interim Manager Nancy McKenney will accompany Sergeant Gary Kranig to the scene on Thursday, June 11 to place reward posters in the area. Sergeant Kranig was the first Animal Control Officer to respond to the scene on May 31.

Media are invited to accompany staff as they place reward flyers at the scene:

Thursday, June 11, 2009
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Directions: From 1-90 Eastbound, take Exit #38.
Turn right off the exit.
Staff will be in an animal control truck, and will wait for any media who want to follow them to the location of where the dog was found, which is 1.8 miles down a forest service road.

The dog had been seen by witnesses riding in the back of a dark colored pick-up truck in the area around 10:00 a.m. on May 31 before he was found injured and tied to the log in the afternoon. A picture of the dog after initial medical treatment and pictures from the scene can be viewed in the photo gallery (external link).

It is a class C felony to intentionally shoot a dog and leave it to suffer. King County Animal Care and Control Interim Manager Nancy McKenney would like to remind “Pet owners that there are many shelter and rescue options if they cannot keep their pets, and challenges with dog behavior can be addressed with trainers or obedience classes. This is a horrendous case of animal abuse, and we are grateful to the Humane Society of the United States for offering a reward for arrest and conviction.”

Any information can be left by calling the King County Animal Care and Control tip line, 206-296-3939.