In this day of PC it is good to see that at least one law the right to protect your livestock still is followed...........
Arlington dog was shot after attacking newborn calf
By Jackson Holtz
Herald Writer
ARLINGTON Choppers big eyes splashed across a Seattle TV station's newscasts earlier this week.
The yellow Labrador retrievers owner reported Chopper was suffering after being wounded by 73 lead pellets fired from a shotgun. The shooting occurred near the familys home in unincorporated Arlington, east of the airport.
Sympathy welled and, according to Snohomish County Animal Control documents, fingers started to get pointed at neighborhood teens with a reputation for shooting coyotes.
It turns out that while Choppers injuries are unfortunate, the shooting was justified under county rules, animal control manager Vicki Lubrin said.
It also had nothing to do with kids.
Instead the shooting apparently occurred when a farmer was legally taking steps to protect their livestock.
Choppers owners now face possible fines and violations for letting their dogs run loose and apparently attacking a neighbors newborn calf. So do the people who own Bella, a black lab who was also involved but escaped being hit by the shotgun pellets.
Heres what a four-page county report says happened:
Early the afternoon of New Years Day, an Arlington-area woman heard dogs barking in her cow pasture. She told officials she loaded two rounds into her shotgun, went outside and drove the dogs off with gunfire.
The woman said she was worried about three young calves, including one that was about 6 hours old.
She told investigators she saw a black dog run off but didnt see where the yellow dog went. Shed had prior experience with the black dog, later identified as Bella. The woman filed a complaint in 2008 after Bella got into her chickens.
The newly born calf was motionless when the woman reached it, but it finally got up and limped off to join its mother.
On Saturday, neighbors knocked on the womans door to say theyd found an injured dog on her property. She and her husband used their tractor to help bring the dog to its owner.
The womans husband later saw the TV story about Choppers shooting and called 911 to report what happened.
She did have a right to protect her livestock and she was not in the wrong for shooting the dog, Animal Control officer Lisa Lyons wrote in her report.
Choppers owners now may face fines for violations related to the livestock attack, violating leash laws and having an unlicensed dog. Bellas owners face similar fines and on Wednesday took out a license for her. Both dogs have been deemed dangerous, which requires they be kept inside enclosures.
The owners can appeal the county violations and the $50 fine.
We understand this was a tragic thing that happened, Lubrin said. It all could have been prevented if the dogs were kept secured, she said. "Keep Fido in your purview.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, [email protected].
Arlington dog was shot after attacking newborn calf
By Jackson Holtz
Herald Writer
ARLINGTON Choppers big eyes splashed across a Seattle TV station's newscasts earlier this week.
The yellow Labrador retrievers owner reported Chopper was suffering after being wounded by 73 lead pellets fired from a shotgun. The shooting occurred near the familys home in unincorporated Arlington, east of the airport.
Sympathy welled and, according to Snohomish County Animal Control documents, fingers started to get pointed at neighborhood teens with a reputation for shooting coyotes.
It turns out that while Choppers injuries are unfortunate, the shooting was justified under county rules, animal control manager Vicki Lubrin said.
It also had nothing to do with kids.
Instead the shooting apparently occurred when a farmer was legally taking steps to protect their livestock.
Choppers owners now face possible fines and violations for letting their dogs run loose and apparently attacking a neighbors newborn calf. So do the people who own Bella, a black lab who was also involved but escaped being hit by the shotgun pellets.
Heres what a four-page county report says happened:
Early the afternoon of New Years Day, an Arlington-area woman heard dogs barking in her cow pasture. She told officials she loaded two rounds into her shotgun, went outside and drove the dogs off with gunfire.
The woman said she was worried about three young calves, including one that was about 6 hours old.
She told investigators she saw a black dog run off but didnt see where the yellow dog went. Shed had prior experience with the black dog, later identified as Bella. The woman filed a complaint in 2008 after Bella got into her chickens.
The newly born calf was motionless when the woman reached it, but it finally got up and limped off to join its mother.
On Saturday, neighbors knocked on the womans door to say theyd found an injured dog on her property. She and her husband used their tractor to help bring the dog to its owner.
The womans husband later saw the TV story about Choppers shooting and called 911 to report what happened.
She did have a right to protect her livestock and she was not in the wrong for shooting the dog, Animal Control officer Lisa Lyons wrote in her report.
Choppers owners now may face fines for violations related to the livestock attack, violating leash laws and having an unlicensed dog. Bellas owners face similar fines and on Wednesday took out a license for her. Both dogs have been deemed dangerous, which requires they be kept inside enclosures.
The owners can appeal the county violations and the $50 fine.
We understand this was a tragic thing that happened, Lubrin said. It all could have been prevented if the dogs were kept secured, she said. "Keep Fido in your purview.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, [email protected].
