Getting some "Action"~

Dog that attacked me...

May 4, 2010 - as I rode Khari up our road, the dog attacked.  I managed to snap this photo with my phone.  Khari was whirling in circles as the dog was trying to bite.  The owner finally came out & gained control of him.  I guess it was my fault for riding on the road?

Yesterday, after waiting all day on Tue. for Snohomish Animal Control to return my calls, or come by - (They had re-scheduled to pick up my Witness Statement on Tue. morning at 9:30 a.m.)  At the advice of a friend - I contacted the Everett Herald.  Mr. Eric Stevick returned my call & listened to my story.  Within an hour of taking with him, I received a call from Gordon Abbott of Animal Control.  He explained the deputy that originally was working with me had been sick.  Since he was already in the area, he would come by & pick my statement up.  http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110526/NEWS01/705269896/0/BLOG08#

I've found some interesting information while researching this.  First - dogs in WA do not need to be vaccinated, not even for Rabies.  Vicki Lubrin, Snohomish County Animal Control Manager, who returned my call today -- told me that will change in January of 2012, but there are no enforcement's written into the law.   I'm told the investigation will be completed within the next few days.  I can email them to receive the results. 

Second, the way the RCW's are written;  if you trespass onto private property & you are attacked, you are within a gray area of the law.  Written as though the dogs are fenced in as part of the property - as ours are.  In this case, the dogs were not enclosed with the property boundary, but on it --  they escaped their enclosure to attack me.

No dogs running at large now?

With the article appearing in the paper today, all of my "adjoining landowners" have put all their dogs who usually have the run of the road - away...   But not before one of them decided to do his duty on our rubbish bin, out for pick-up today!  You can bet if I'm charged with my dogs "running at large" I will be instrumental in logging dates, times & taking photos of all the other dogs who do this every day!  :-)