[UPDATE] I originally posted this because I thought, as did the people who sent it to me, that it was the same perpetrators and therefore, was good news for the rest of us, since they got a license plate number. My knee jerk reaction was that it was the same people, because their descriptions matched those in Magnuson, but a commenter pointed out that the dogs are DIFFERENT COLORS! These are 2 dogs, black and red (that’s a reddish brown to non-dog folks) and the original 3 dogs were brown, brindle, and white or gray. Maybe someone got their colors off, but it doesn’t seem like it.
While still scary for the person and dog involved, I’m sure, this incident also pales in comparison to the attacks in Magnuson Dog Park. Furthermore, while the people were jerks to the human, they did seem to (at least somewhat) help break up the fights. I’ve considered taking it down, but I’m leaving it here in case you might think you’ve got nothing to worry about if you just avoid Magnuson Dog Park, although it sounds like there was more to fear in Edmonds from the humans than the dogs.
And it could still be the same people, with different dogs. That’s my hope, so that the police can nab them!
[/End of UPDATE]
I’m copying a report of the incident below verbatim (though I couldn’t help but correct some typos.
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My name is XXXX and I am a veterinary technician currently working at XXXX (I deleted it for privacy, even though I was told we could post this). On Wednesday October 7th, 2009, my dog was attacked three times by pits matching the description of those who recently killed and severely injured a dog at Magnuson Park.
I was at the Edmonds Dog Beach at about 3pm with my sister, dog Maddie (GShep mix, 1yo, 75lbs) and Luke (Husky, 4yo, 80lbs). We were playing in the water when a red pit (approx 60lbs) and a black Staffordshire terrier (approx 40lbs) approached us. They started playing a little aggressively (which says a lot for Maddie) and were called off by the owners. Later, the black one came up again. The black one, “Junior,” was playing with Maddie a bit too aggressively, and when the red saw this, he bolted over (knocking me over) and began the attack. The two ganged up on Maddie, biting at her hocks and throat. I tried to pull them off but could only pull one off at a time, and after about a minute, the owner came over and pulled them off. He returned to his girlfriend, and they began laughing about how I got knocked over when Junior chased Maddie down the beach. I continued to watch for other incidents, but did not call police. Before we left, Approx 4pm, I approached the couple and told them “It doesn’t bother me that this happened, but there are other people who will call the police so please watch for aggressive behavior.”
The female ( About 5′6″, 190+ lbs, late twenties/early thirties) proceeded to get in my face and scream about how, since her animals were neutered, they were good owners and that I should call the police. The male (About 5′8″, 200lbs, mid/early thirties) stood behind her. At this point in time, my sister walked over and began telling her to back off, and she continues to get in my sister’s face, screaming obscenities and threatening to call the police. During this, the red pit for the third time attacked Maddie, and the male grabbed him and drug him back. After five minutes of heated conversation (with yelling and screaming), my sister and I walked away, taking our dogs and heading toward the exit.
We got into the car and drove to the other side of the parking lot, watching them walk to their car. They kept walking, and I drove away. I stopped just past the closest dry dock area, backed into a parking spot, and waited about five minutes. The couple drove by, and I began driving out of the parking lot. Twice, the female attempted to pull into the parking lot, and the third time she tried to block the exit. I drove past, wrote down the plate, and drove away quickly.
Related post: attacks in Magnuson Dog Park
I write this to you, as well as law enforcement, for your records. As of now, I have not decided whether or not to press charges, but the plate number has been passed on to law enforcement.
Thanks for reading (I get into the details) and best of luck. My sincere condolences to the families of attacked animals.
Written by Grisha Stewart, Ahimsa Dog Training, Seattle![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
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October 9th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Ugh, I’m so sorry this happened to someone else, but thank goodness the dog wasn’t seriously hurt. I’m thrilled that the person who wrote you was able to get a license plate number, and has passed it on. I hope this leads to a quick resolution.
Grisha, I really appreciate you keeping us up to date on this. Thank you. I don’t want this to stop me from taking my two dogs to the park (I go to Edmonds and Magnuson all the time), but I have to admit I am a little scared. But I ordered some of the citronella spray from your Web site earlier today, and will have that in hand next time!
October 11th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Around the beginning of Spring of this year, I was taking my pitbull “Chuck” for a walk at Magnuson park (outside the dog park) along the trails slightly south of the tennis courts. I heard dogs running in the brush and I noticed a man with three pitbull mixed dogs running around with no leashes helter skelter. I told the owner that this was not a dog park and that he needed leashes for his dogs. He made no attemp to put a leash on his dogs. One of the dogs came towards me and my dog, I told him to get his dog or I would taze it. He said, “I don’t care taze him.” as he took a big hit off of his cigarette. As I started to walk away I told him that I didn’t want to taze his dog. The dog stopped coming towards me which was a good thing. I went straight to my car and called animal control who told me they would send someone down. I waited there an hour and animal control did not come down there. I also took down all the license plates and waited for them to exit. Some how they got away without me noticing or they parked in a place I was unaware of. For the next couple of weeks I noticed I would keep bumping into these dogs ( sometimes it was him and his girlfriend) and it would terrify me because every time I would call animal control, they would tell me to get a license plate number otherwise there was nothing they could do! They would not send anyone down and I started to feel like I was being treated like the crazy old lady who wasn’t being taken serious. So, I started to ask the other poeple at the park to call and complain. I just stopped taking my dog to Magnuson park. I’m sure these were the same people.
October 14th, 2009 at 9:12 am
I just ran into this couple at blue dog dog park in the Central district. It was about 4:30 pm and had read their descriptions and turned and left immediately. They definatley had a frightening stare and stopped and waited for us to come into the park, we did NOt. I called the police and Animal control.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
If you are a parent, there are certain kids you don’t let your children play with. Everyone knows _that_ family with bad parents and kids who are trouble. The same thing goes for your dogs – when you go to the park, keep your dogs away from unruly dogs with bad parents, break up aggressive play before it goes to far, and bring citronella spray just in case.
As for what happened at Magnuson – I am beginning to believe that it was in fact a hoax. Where are the police reports or witnesses? Magnuson is very popular – how did no one see a woman carrying a dying 60 pound dog to her car? Where is the vet report? If my dog was killed, I would do everything in my power to get him justice and protect others from suffering the same fate. But all the reports have been 2nd or 3rd hand. This all seems so suspicious.
October 19th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Don’t be so quick to write this off as not being the same people. Does the truck match? Do the descriptions of the humans match? All of us in the dog world know how people can get colors/breeds/descriptions confused. And law enforcement officers will tell you that witnesses often times get confused or get the info. incorrect in any crime.
As for not enough reports or witnesses at Magnuson. How many crimes are perpetrated against people every minute of the day while people just walk past and refuse to get involved? A lot.
And the owner of the dog killed may not want to come foreward and re-live the horror. This past summer a little Boston Terrier in Portland Oregon was taken from his yard, tortured, throat slashed, skinned and hung from the tree in a school yard. While the family wants the person caught, they have declined interviews or help from the local BT community. They just want to get on with life. Could be the same thing in this case. People deal with things differently.
October 19th, 2009 at 8:14 am
You are right about social psychology and how people are unwilling to come forward. However, a member of the Edmonds police department told me that they are not the same peeps, and furthermore, since no reports were filed and no witnesses seem to exist, that Maguson was a hoax. We shall see. I’ll continue to promote safety at dog parks, but not necessarily because of these incidents, since Magnuson may be a hoax. I hope it is, for the sake of the supposed victims.
As soon as I know for sure, one way or another, I will blog about it.
October 22nd, 2009 at 11:01 am
I wanted to cross post a response a member of the Boston Terrier community received from KOMO reporter Michelle Estaban. Animal control does NOT believe the Magnuson attack(s) to be a hoax and are taking this very seriously.
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I just received this answer from the reporter of the story about the dog attacks after sending her an email (also included). Come to your own conclusions.
Thanks for writing.
All I can tell you is that many folks are worried the stories on the attacks were meant to promote a breed ban.
That is not true.
I love dogs, all dogs. Not that it matters.
Animal Control Field Supervisor Don Baxter assured me the incidents were not a ‘hoax’ that they were taking them ‘very seriously’ and that they were beefing up patrols at Magnuson and they also asked KOMO to air their dispatch number, in case any witnesses were willing to come forward.
According to Baxter the owner did not fill out a report for privacy reason and fear.
If Animal Control deems it a hoax, we’ll be happy to report it – but for now – it’s still unsolved.
Since Animal Control took it seriously – we chose to let viewers know about and decide for themselves what they want to think and do.
Hope this helps.
Michelle
Michelle Esteban
KOMO 4 Problem Solvers
Reporter
140 4th Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109