The Metropolitan King County Council today called on King County Animal

Council Chair Larry Phillips and Councilmember Julia Patterson with Chase, Phillips' Golden Retriever puppy after the Council unanimously approved a motion placing greater emphasis on investigating animal cruelty cases

“My family and I would be devastated if our puppy was the victim of cruelty similar to what happened to Mooie earlier this year,” said Council Chair Larry Phillips, who was accompanied by a special guest during the discussion of the motion: Chase, the Phillips’ Golden Retriever puppy. “The investigation of two high profile acts of shocking animal cruelty exposed gaps in the law enforcement response. This motion asks the executive to set clear guidelines for responding to such crimes. We have a responsibility to protect our four-legged friends and prosecute those who commit viscous acts against them.”

“No one wants to see people who commit cruel acts go unpunished,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson. “The public outcry over these heinous crimes is understandable. We want to ensure that the procedures already in place to investigate these acts are sufficient and examine whether changes need to be made to improve the investigation and prosecution of animal cruelty incidents.”

The motion asks that by July 1, the County Executive:

• Present recommendations on how to improve investigations of animal cruelty allegations and coordination of resources between animal control and police, and how to step up the county’s efforts to reduce and eliminate animal cruelty.

• Evaluate alternative organizational models for the enforcement of animal cruelty laws and make a recommendation on how King County Animal Control should be better organized to investigate animal cruelty, possibly by designating one or two officers to focus on cruelty cases.

• Improve animal control section policies and procedures for: coordination of animal cruelty enforcement between animal control officers and police; tracking and follow-up on cruelty cases, particularly those involving repeat offenders; and acceptance of reports of alleged animal cruelty cases from private humane societies.

Phillips and Patterson introduced the motion in response to two incidents in King County earlier this year. In March, Mooie, a pit bull puppy, was burned over 95 percent of her body with concentrated ammonia. The burns were so severe the dog had to be put down. No suspect has yet been arrested. In April, a dog was rescued after it had been hung by the neck from a tree. In that case witnesses were able to identify a 14-year old suspect and an arrest was made.

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system.
Type in “2006-0241”