WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DISTURBING CONTENT, PICTURES, AND VIDEO

Last Saturday in Olympia, Jane* and her family left their home to run an errand. They returned 30 minutes later to a “horrific” scene of blood and carnage in their goat pen.

Inside the pen were 4 dogs “covered in their goats’ blood.” After rushing her children into the house so they wouldn’t see the slaughter she discovered that 2 of the goats were already dead and 3 others were “barely hanging on.”

She told me, “You could hear the goats screaming in pain and terror even from inside my house.”

* = All names of people in this post have been changed to protect them from retaliation.

Rogue Dog “Rescue” Has Long History of Causing Chaos

The four dogs that killed the goats escaped from Sharon Gold’s house in Olympia. She’s a neighbor of the goats’ owners.

Sharon Gold owns Furever Homes rescue. Over the last few years she has had dozens of run-ins with Thurston County Police and Joint Animal Services in Lacey because of the haphazard and dangerous way she runs the rescue as well as her refusal to follow local laws/ordinances.

I’ve written about Gold’s antics for several years now. She runs her rescue as a money making enterprise. She doesn’t give a damn about helping dogs. To her, they are disposable commodities she uses to put cash in her pocket.

Here are some examples of how she operates her “rescue”:

From 2010 – 2017 Gold and Furever Homes were the subject of over 100 incident reports/complaints filled with Joint Animal Services in Lacey.

In 2016 she harassed a military family who told me some of the puppies they fostered for her had died due to several medical problems including tapeworm. She hassled the woman who fostered the puppies so much a judge issued a restraining order against her.

In 2017, 18 dogs at Furever Homes died in a kennel fire.

Joint Animal Services banned her from its facility after she and her son threatened to kill an animal control officer.

You can find a links to all my posts about Sharon Gold and Furever Homes at the end of this story.

Olympia Family Returns to Find “Horrific Bloodbath”

Here’s Jane’s account of what happened. I made edits for punctuation and clarity.

“There are 9 houses in my neighborhood and 8 of us have all had more than one run in with Sharon or her son.  In fact, a week or two prior to all this, I took her husky home to her after she was terrorizing my goats. The next day Sharon came down to my house looking for her dogs AGAIN. After leaving my house she got into it with my other neighbor where cops were involved.
 
The day of the tragic events, my family and I left for 30 mins to run to the store. We were not prepared to come back to the horrific scene that was unfolding on our property. From our slider door we could see a dog in our goat pen drinking water. My husband and I instantly ran outside to discover that actually 4 dogs were in our pen.

At that point the dogs were done attacking our goats and acting like nothing had even happened even though they were all covered in our goats’ blood. As we got closer, we could see our littlest goat was dead. I instantly stopped in my tracks and just couldn’t bear to go any further to see who was left.

My husband immediately called 911 because after the events the prior week, we were informed to call the police when her dogs were out and to avoid contact with Sharon. At that point my young kids were coming outside on our patio, so I had to race up there to shield them from the horrific bloodbath while he continued into the goat pen.

Once I got inside, I frantically called my neighbor Jack so he could help my husband. I know there is absolutely no way he understood the words coming out of my mouth because I was sobbing but he dashed out his back door and jumped right in to help.

I quickly learned that another one of the goats was also already dead and that 3 were barely hanging on. You could hear the goats screaming in pain and terror even from inside my house. So I instantly tried to get a hold of the only vet near me that dealt with livestock. Unfortunately it was so late in the day that I could not find anyone to help us while my 3 remaining goats were suffering.

Luckily, we finally found a vet 45 mins to an hour away but was willing to make the trek to help us. From the house I could see one of my goats come out of their house and she was panicking. The whole time the pack of dogs were laying down at the lower part of my goat pen until they saw my goat panic and instantly were ready to attack again.”

But this time my husband, Jack, and another neighbor were down there to protect the remaining goats who could barely move and fend for themselves. The goat who panicked actually ended up collapsing and dying at that moment. That same goat was the same one that was guarding one of my smaller goats inside their house and trying to protect him.

It was clear that it was all a game to these dogs and had nothing to do with them killing to eat. They were just doing it as a vicious attack. Once my dad arrived to help me with the kids, I instantly ran down to help try to save the last 2 remaining goats.

I can’t even express to you how traumatizing it was to see my 3 dead goats just lying there. My goats were more like dogs to me than livestock. They were my babies and very much a part of our family. But I didn’t have time to let emotions overrun me because I had a goat actively trying to die and was screaming for me. We all were doing anything we could possibly think of to help save the remaining 2 goats until the vet could get there.

The first sheriff to arrive on scene wanted to get the owner (Gold) to come get the dogs out of the pen. We declined to allow the owner on our property because there was no way we were going to let her just be able to just take her dogs back like nothing happened. So, they hung out with us while we waited for the vet and allowed us to take the dogs to joint animal services.

Once the vet arrived and assessed the goat that I was mending to I had to make the gut-wrenching decision to have him euthanized because even once sedated he could not calm down and was clearly dying and in so much pain and had lost so much blood. We then began working on the last goat that was in bad shape but had been protected some from my other bigger goat.

During that time the dogs were being loaded up and taken to joint animal services but two of them definitely started acting aggressively to people. Once my last goat got stitched up, we then had to take care of the carnage that was left by these dogs. It was heartbreaking to say the least. Absolutely devastating! My one remaining goat is still fighting for his life and it is still touch and go.

The worst part is he keeps calling out for his herd and you can just see the confusion and sadness in his eyes. My family is hurting. My husband and I can’t even look at the empty goat pen without crying. My kids are beyond sad that they lost their goat friends. 

Unfortunately we know this nightmare isn’t over and Sharon will probably only begin to harass us more as we pursue justice for our lost babies.”

In a follow up email, Jane explained to me how Gold, her family, and their dogs have changed their once peaceful neighborhood to the point that people don’t even feel safe going outside and kids are worried that Gold’s dogs will attack them:

“I have 2 young kids I don’t feel safe having out in front yard in case they get out which is at least once a week. Another neighbor has a disabled son who he worries about being attacked, and we all have dogs that we are worried about coming in contact with her aggressive dogs even though our dogs are on our property.

I know at least one neighbor has been bitten. The people who live right next to her didn’t even feel like they could have an Easter egg hunt because the dogs charge the fence and dig their way out underneath, and they were afraid the kids would get attacked.

You try to confront Sharon and you either get lied to or it turns into a heated situation. She is impossible to deal with and there is never any remorse. And her son is an absolute lose cannon. Once you cross his mom, you become a target to him for getting the bird or threatened.”

Sharon Gold and Her Family Terrorize Neighborhood

Another neighbor wrote this about Sharon Gold:

“Sharon has no remorse and has trained her children, especially her son to follow in her crazy footsteps.  She attacks anyone that questions her and is just a horrible person.  For months the neighbors have been returning her dogs and asking her to get it under control. 

About a week before the goat tragedy, one of our neighbors texted her husband, Justin, a picture of her dog in our back yard and warned of something bad like this happening.  Sharon came down to confront him in an altercation that led to the Sheriff showing up, Sharon making acquisitions that the neighbor threated to kill her and she was scared for her life.  She was so scared that she continued to stand on his property for 30-45 minutes until the sheriff arrived…. 

In that time her son ran down full sprint and confronted this neighbor in his own garage for threatening his mom. We went from living in a peaceful neighborhood to a shit show. 

The police have been her multiple times to handle situations involving them or to serve them.  To say this is a nightmare is an understatement.”

Another neighbor sent me this message:

“It has been nothing but trauma the last few months. The dogs are always getting out (i’m talking 2-3 x week) you can here dogs barking all night. The garage sounds like there are 50 small animals in there. The big ones are kept out back. We have tried to reason, text justin whenever they do get out, he says they are not his. Police have been out twice in the last 10 days.”

Sharon Gold’s inability or unwillingness to control the dogs has turned the lives of the families in the other 8 houses in that neighborhood into a nightmare. Her dogs are killing animals, biting neighbors, and petrifying children.

If anyone dares to try and hold her accountable the damage her dogs cause she screams at them and accuses them of lying. Furthermore, as I noted earlier, she threatened to kill an animal control officer and was served with a restraining order after she harassed someone who fostered puppies for her. And she has never taken any responsibility for the damage her recklessness has caused.

The bottom line is that Gold and her family are terrorizing the other 8 families in that neighborhood.

Thurston County Officials Not Protecting Citizens

Sharon Gold is well-known in both the Thurston County Police Department and Joint Animal Services. They have fielded dozens of complaints and visited her homes multiple times over the last decade. Her dogs have attacked other animals and bitten people. She has repeatedly violated county ordinances regulating how many dogs she can have. She has shown no respect for law enforcement, animal control, or her neighbors.

So why is she still raking in the cash selling dogs and ignoring local ordinances?

Why haven’t Thurston County officials held her accountable for terrorizing her neighbors and running an illegal business out of her home? It’s not clear if she’s continuing to run the “rescue” as Furever Homes or under a new name, but regardless, what she’s doing is ruining this neighborhood.

Why aren’t they concerned that they have constituents that are too scared to go outside in their own neighborhood?

And why haven’t elected officials taken measures to shut down this illegal, out of control rescue?

I plan to monitor what actions the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, Joint Animal Services, and the Thurston County City Council do/don’t take to address to horrible, untenable situation.

Here are links to the articles I’ve written about Sharon Gold and Furever Homes rescue.

Adopt-a-Pet Boots Furever Homes Rescue from Its Website (August 2018)

Furever Homes Founder Banned from Joint Animal Services After Threats Against Staff (March 2017)

Furever Homes Dog Rescue Continued to Lose Dogs in 2016 (February 2017)

Candlelight Vigil to Be Held in Olympia Sunday for 18 Dogs That Died in Furever Homes Rescue Fire (January 2017)

Fire Kills 18 Dogs at Furever Homes Dog Rescue Near Tumwater (January 2017)

Vigil in Olympia Remembers 18 Dogs That Died in Fire at Illegal Dog Kennel (January 2017)

Furever Homes Dog Rescue: 100+ cases with Thurston County Animal Control since 2010 (July 2017)

After 3+ months, Furever Homes Dog Rescue Still Has Too Many Dogs (June 2016)

Judge Issues Restraining Order Against Furever Homes Rescue Director Sharon Gold (March 2016)

Furever Homes Rescue Makes Military Family’s Fostering Experience a Nightmare (February 2016)

Furever Homes Rescue is Operating in Violation of Thurston County Codes (February 2016)

Furever Homes Rescue Illegally Brought Puppies from Mexico into Washington (February 2016)

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The post Dogs from Furever Homes Rescue Kill Neighbor’s Goats in Olympia appeared first on Seattle DogSpot.

Main Street Mutt Rescue Has Sketchy History

A Bellingham dog rescue reneged on its approval for a woman to adopt a puppy after she asked questions about the group’s vaccination and health protocols.

Main Street Mutt Rescue is the organization that cut off communication with the woman who insisted on knowing the rescue’s procedures before she adopted a puppy.

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard about Main Street Mutt Rescue’s sketchy vaccination practices. In 2015 I wrote that the rescue adopted out unvaccinated dogs that weren’t spayed/neutered.”

In my post I wrote that a woman adopted a 7-week-old puppy from Main Street Mutt Rescue that hadn’t been vaccinated or dewormed.

The rescue’s founder Amy Millman also placed an unneutered adult dog w/out an adoption contract, health certificate, or proof of vaccination.

I wrote that if Ms. Millman didn’t accept help and change her procedures, she “should get out of dog rescue because she is either unable or unwilling to prioritize what is in the best interest of the dogs she says she’s trying to help.”

Apparently she never took my advice.

(Note: Amy Millman never responded to the questions I sent her about this incident.)

Email Lays Out Potential Adopter’s Concerns

Last month a woman sent me the following email regarding the article I wrote about Main Street Mutt Rescue in 2015:

“I found Main Street Mutt rescue on Petfinder when I was looking for a puppy to adopt. I found an adorable litter of pittie mixes and I was overjoyed. After my application was approved I was looking up the shelter to show my friends the litter when I noticed the mediocre rating on Google reviews. After many of the reviews stated having troubles with vaccines and other health issues I started to get more nervous.

I did some more research and found this article as well as complaint filed to the better business bureau. The BBB claim stated that the dog had preexisting medical conditions that were not mentioned and they would like a refund, and as far as I am aware the issue was not resolved by MSMR.

Because I still had my heart set on these adorable pups I decided to address my concerns to Amy and the foster parent directly. The specific issues I raised were whether there would be some record of the vaccinations administered, how they were administered, and whether they had been checked by a vet.

The foster parent was as helpful as I believe they could be and said that to their knowledge the puppies had not been to a vet, that the vaccines as well as the microchip would be administered at the time of adoption (by whom was not specified, but I assume the foster parent or Amy herself), and that they would be dewormed at 6 and 8 weeks. They also said I would receive a voucher for the neuter/spay. They even sent me a photo of the vaccines which was the “Nobivac Canine 1-DAPPv”.

(I am not a vet so take what I say next with a grain of salt, but from what I read certain vaccines are not recognized unless administered by a vet.)

Amy was MUCH less helpful in my opinion. She simply said that she has no idea why there would be negative reviews and that I would get “a document stating what they were given and when”. As far as any of my concerns, they were not addressed and when I continued to press I was promptly told that I could no longer adopt the puppy because “they got too many applications and miscounted”. This was AFTER I was confirmed to adopt one of the 3 remaining puppies in the litter.”

Potential Adopter Makes Questions Clear from Outset

Here are the texts between the potential adopter and the person fostering the puppies.

Several statements from Main Street Mutt Rescue in this text thread about its vaccine protocols raised red flags for the potential adopter. You’ll also see several misleading statements regarding the rescue’s general health protocols.

Having done her research about Main Street Mutt Rescue, the potential adopter said from the outset she wanted clarification about the rescue’s vaccination and neutering policies.

This answer is not accurate.

Most veterinarians don’t consider vaccinations valid unless a veterinarian or licensed vet technician (LVT) administered them.

Furthermore, you can’t get get a health certificate for your dog unless a veterinarian or LVT vaccinated it.

Airlines won’t allow your dog to fly without a valid health certificate. Most dog boarding and dog daycare facilities won’t take dogs that don’t have valid health certificates and/or vaccinations.

And saying vets “should” accept vaccinations administered by a rescue means nothing. It’s just a statement to falsely assure potential adopters that the vaccinations the rescue gave are valid.

The reality is, regardless of what anyone thinks, if your dog isn’t vaccinated by a veterinarian or LVT, you cannot get a health certificate for it. Period.

Like I said, it’s true that you have to get a clean bill of health (ie, a health certificate) from your vet if you want to fly with your dog, but you can’t get one until a veterinarian or LVT vaccinates your dog.

The potential adopter said she’ll adopt the puppy when she gets clarification regarding Main Street Mutt Rescue’s vaccination policy.

The puppies’ foster tells the potential adopter that Amy Millman approved the adoption.

I’ll address the statement in the 2nd red box first.

Most rescues don’t vaccinate their dogs at adoption events. The larger ones, like Seattle Humane Society, have their own licensed veterinarian(s) on staff that vaccinate their dogs. Smaller rescues usually have their dogs vaccinated during vet exams.

In addition, it usually takes “ten to fourteen days” before a vaccine provides reasonable level of protection. If a rescue vaccinates a puppy/dog the day someone adopts it the vaccine may not provide adequate protection for several days.

Furthermore, bringing an unvaccinated puppy to an adoption event could expose it to dangerous viruses that vaccines given the same day may not prevent.

Finally, dogs sometimes have adverse, life-threatening reactions to vaccinations that require immediate medical treatment.

If the dog vaccinated at an adoption event has a severe reaction at the event or on the drive home it could die before it gets medical treatment.

Reputable rescues have their dogs and puppies vaccinated before an adoption event to ensure they have a minimal level of protection. They can also get medical attention immediately if the dogs have an adverse reaction to the vaccination.

Regarding microchips, the American Veterinary Medical Association, says “microchips should really be implanted under supervision by a veterinarian, because veterinarians know where the microchips should be placed, know how to place them, and know how to recognize the signs of a problem and treat one if it occurs.”

And you should note that in this text the potential adopter says for the third time in 24 hours that she wants to know Main Street Mutt Rescue’s vaccination protocols.

The potential adopter asks a some new questions. Has a vet examined the puppies? Are the puppies being dewormed?

While it’s true that reputable breeders have a veterinarian certify the health of their puppies, reputable rescues have all their puppies/dogs checked out by a vet before adoption to ensure they’re healthy.

Main Street Mutt Rescue’s website even says part of the adoption fee covers vet visits.

I think it’s unconscionable that a rescue would adopt out puppies or dogs without a vet exam.

And the foster’s statement about deworming is problematic. At the time of this text exchange the puppies were about 6 weeks old and hadn’t been dewormed yet.

Puppies should be dewormed when they’re 2 weeks old and then every 2 weeks until they’re 12 weeks old. These puppies should have been dewormed 3 times when the potential adopter asked if they’d been wormed yet.

Not long after the potential adopter said she wanted some assurance that the puppy wouldn’t have any pre-existing health problems, the foster told her the adoption wasn’t going to “work out” because they “miscounted” the adoption applications.

Potential Adopter Dumped the Same Day She Expressed Concerns to Director

The potential adopter also had a brief text exchange with Amy Millman in which she raised the same concerns she expressed to the woman fostering the puppies:

The potential adopter made her vaccination/health concerns clear to Ms. Millman. She also specifically asked if veterinarians, airlines, etc. would accept the vaccinations.

Ms. Millman responded somewhat defensively that she didn’t know what issue there could be with vaccines even though she had to be aware about the complaints about the rescue’s vaccination procedures since 2015.

She also failed to note that veterinarians and airlines wouldn’t consider vaccinations valid if the rescue vaccinated the puppies.

Ms. Millman stopped communicating with the potential adopter after she asked if a vet would exam the puppies before the adoption. That same day, the foster told the potential adopter that the puppies were no longer available for adoption.

Simple Questions Help Identify Bad Dog Rescues

A few years ago I wrote a blog post called, “10 Questions That Can Identify Fake Dog Rescues.” In it I say that the first thing you should do before adopting a dog from a rescue is conduct an internet search on the rescue and its founder.

If anyone has written bad reviews about their experience with the group you should find it in seconds.

The potential adopter’s internet search for Main Street Mutt Rescue turned up complaints about its vaccination and health protocols.

Here are comments from people who adopted dogs from Main Street Mutt Rescue that raised her concern about the rescue:

“Any animal “RESCUE” facility whos adoption fees go up 200$ based off the cutness of an animal is straight trash. I get trying to make money but 1000$ to rescue a puppy….. Your trash….. We already have to get 1000 $ worth of stuff and new pet rental fees etc… And saying it’s to ensure financial responsibility is A lie, just like the “vaccinations” you provide that aren’t administered by a professional (or accepted by airlines, etc).” 5 months ago

“I adopted a puppy from this business through a foster family. I’m very happy with my new pup but things are tough going. Firstly, the $450 adoption fee claims to cover vaccinations… Except those vaccines aren’t administered by a licensed vet, so any organization (e.g. airlines, behavior schools, dog boarders), won’t recognize them. So even if puppy actually was vaccinated, we had to repeat the shots regardless. As well, Main Street Mutt Rescue has no phone number because apparently it’s a business from the nineteenth century. As well, they’ve not responded to any of my emails or questions about puppy. (EDIT: they eventually did, and even got us in touch with the families who adopted the siblings of our pup, so we could all cross-reference health stuff.)

So through some veterinary investigation, we found that she has giardia, demodectic mange, kennel cough, and an abdominal infection resulting from some type of insect bite. We were told that the kennel cough and the bite infection could very possibly have been from after adoption, but the giardia definitely predated that. Mange is a little more complicated, so it’s difficult to lay the blame at the mutt rescue, but their startling unprofessionalism, lack of communication, and opacity in presentation are all kind of red flags that we should have noticed.

I would advise folks who are looking to rescue to go elsewhere. There are plenty of shelter dogs and puppies around Whatcom that need adoption and their shelters will continue to provide clear communication after adoption and they actually administer vaccines properly. I am happy with my mangy puppy, and every puppy is a lot of work, but there’s clearly something missing in how this place conducts business.” a year ago

Note that the dog had some health problems that a vet should have identified and treated before adoption.

Reputable Dog Rescues Welcome Your Questions

The potential adopter’s discovery of these complaints led her to ask 3 questions listed in my post:

Can I see this dog’s health certificate?
Has this dog had a comprehensive health exam?
Is the dog up to date on its vaccines?

Reputable dog rescues with nothing to hide are happy to answer questions from potential adopters. It shows they take adopting a dog seriously. It also shows they understand the commitment and responsibility that comes with adopting a dog.

Most sketchy rescues, however, will cut off communication with an adopter who asks lots of questions.

How this woman conducted her search for a puppy to adopt is a textbook example of why it’s critical to carefully research any potential dog rescue and ask questions about any concerns you may have before you make a commitment to adopt a dog.

She ended up adopting a puppy from the Seattle Humane Society. Here’s how she described her experience to me:

“As far as Seattle Humane I asked them all the same questions, and they answered all of them without fail. The pup was 9 weeks when I got him and he had a full vet exam and had a sheet with his vaccinations listed. Overall, a much better experience! “

I want to emphasize that the vast majority of dog rescues in Washington are run by people dedicated to saving dogs from euthanization and finding them homes where they will thrive.

Asking some pointed questions helps you identify the dog rescues you should avoid. These questions can also help you find reputable dog rescues that will help you find a fantastic companion.

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The post Main Street Mutt Rescue Dumps Woman After She Asks Questions appeared first on Seattle DogSpot.

A Texas dog rescue caused a distemper outbreak in the Northwest after sending 2 transports of dogs that had been exposed to the deadly virus.

Darby and Gracy’s Dog Rescue in Sherwood, OR had to euthanize 17 dogs and puppies last month sent from the SPCA of Brazoria County outside Houston, TX after 2 of the dogs sent on a July transport tested positive for distemper.

An Oregon women had to euthanize one of the dogs from SPCA of Brazoria County she adopted from Darby and Gracy’s after it developed distemper. She also had to put down her rescue dog after it contracted distemper from the new dog she adopted.

A dog from SPCA of Brazoria County adopted by another Oregon woman died from distemper on August 22. A dog adopted by a Seattle women developed distemper but fortunately it survived.

And a dog rescue in the Midwest had to euthanize 1 dog it got from SPCA of Brazoria County in July as well as 1 puppy already at the shelter it infected.

In total, 23 dogs sent to rescues in July from SPCA of Brazoria County either died from distemper or were so sick they had to be euthanized.

Canine Distemper: Highly Contagious, No Cure

Canine distemper is “a…..serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems of puppies and dogs.” 

It spreads through airborne exposure, direct contact with an infected animal, or indirect contact (exposure to bowls, blankets, etc. used by an infected animal).

Canine distemper has an incubation period of 1-2 weeks but it can be as long as 4-5 weeks before an infected dog shows symptoms of the disease.

A dog can carry the virus for weeks without showing any symptoms and still infect other dogs.

Puppies are particularly susceptible because their immune systems aren’t fully developed.

Symptoms of distemper include:

• fever
• watery discharge from the nose and eyes
• coughing
• lethargy
• diarrhea
• lack of appetite

The virus attacks the nervous system as it progresses. This causes circling behavior, head tilting, seizures, muscle twitching, paralysis, and thickening of foot pads.

The virus is especially nasty because it’s extremely contagious, often fatal, and does not have a cure. 

Once a dog is either exposed to or has distemper, it must be isolated to prevent the virus from spreading.

After recovering from distemper a dog can still shed the virus for up to 120 days.

The American Veterinary Medical Association says treatment usually consists of “supportive care and efforts to prevent secondary infections; control vomiting, diarrhea and neurologic symptoms; and combat dehydration through administration of fluids.”

Distemper Vaccine Doesn’t Immediately Provide Puppies Full Immunization

An important concept to remember is that vaccination and immunization aren’t the same thing. That’s why giving a puppy a distemper vaccination doesn’t automatically give it full protection from the virus.

Puppies don’t have immunity from distemper and other viruses when they are born. Maternal antibodies provide the immunity puppies need, but their effectiveness gradually declines until puppies are approximately 12 weeks old.

Because the amount of maternal antibodies a puppy receives is variable, no one can predict when they no longer protect a puppy from viruses. Because of this, most vets give puppies their first distemper vaccination when they are 6-8 weeks old.

Vaccines given before that are less likely to be effective because “the maternally derived antibodies can block the pup’s ability to respond to vaccination.”

Puppies aren’t fully protected from distemper until about a week after their final vaccination when they are 16-18 weeks old. After that, “most pups have enough vaccine protection against the common vaccinatable conditions of dogs to ……. go to the dog park, doggie daycare, and other places where large groups of unknown dogs frequent and congregate.”

Veterinarians advise people to keep vaccinated puppies away from dogs with unknown vaccination histories until a week after their final vaccine.

SPCA of Brazoria County Not Fully Transparent About Distemper Outbreak

Distemper can overrun a shelter/rescue regardless of its protocols. Even those that take all possible precautions to prevent distemper can have outbreaks.

What shelters can control is how they respond to a distemper outbreak. One of the most important things they can do is to be completely transparent with the public.

As soon a shelter knows it has a dog with or exposed to distemper, it should immediately alert every adopter and rescue that took dogs from its facility that could have been exposed to the virus.

At the same time it should also make an announcement alerting the public about distemper at its facility and the steps it will take to address it.

SPCA of Brazoria County did make a public announcement on September 9 on its Facebook page about the distemper outbreak at its facility:

But SPCA of Brazoria County wasn’t fully transparent about its distemper outbreak.

The shelter knew on August 5 that a dog on the July 18 transport had distemper, but staff waited 4 more days before making the announcement on the rescue’s Facebook page. This is the text they sent that day to the Oregon woman whose puppy eventually died of distemper in late August.

Some Rescues Not Notified About Distemper Outbreak

In its August 9 announcement on Facebook, SPCA of Brazoria County said it would contact “persons associated with the animals at the shelter for the past few weeks to ensure that individuals would be on the lookout for the next few weeks for signs of the illness and take appropriate actions.”

However, over 2 months later, I know of at least 3 rescues that took dogs from SPCA of Brazoria County in July that still haven’t been notified about its distemper outbreak.

The 2 transports that took the dogs to D&G Dog Rescue also had dozens of other dogs that went to other rescues. So did the transport that delivered the dog with distemper to the shelter in the midwest.

We don’t know if SPCA of Brazoria County notified any of these unknown rescues that their dogs had been exposed to distemper.

Proper Health Protocols Not Followed

Based on information I’ve collected, I don’t believe SPCA of Brazoria County took the proper precautions to protect the health of dogs on the transports to Oregon while distemper ran rampant in several Texas animal shelters.

Dogs from Texas on First Transport That Arrived in Vancouver, WA on July 18

Wishbone (now Pepe) – 4.5 month old Terrier mix
Chevy – 4 month old Bloodhound
Reba – 4 month old Schnauzer/Doodle mix
7 Catahoula Puppies (almost 8 weeks old)

Dogs from Texas on Second Transport That Arrived in Sherwood, OR on July 30

Biloxi – 1 year old Pittie with 11 puppies (3 weeks old)
Dolly – 1.5 year old Shepherd mix with 3 puppies (8 weeks old)
Pepe – 3 year old Beagle/Lab mix (vet said he was a senior)
Veteran – 2 year old Terrier mix
Winston – 4 month old Malinois

Transports Had Multiple Dogs from Different Shelters

SPCA of Brazoria County assured Shannon Rowe from D&G Dog Rescue that only dogs from its facility would be on the July transports. But Shannon later learned that the transports actually included several of dogs from other rescues. D&G had no idea where those dogs came from or if they were healthy.

The transport with dogs sent to the midwest rescue also had dogs from multiple shelters.

Given that several Texas shelters have had distemper outbreaks this year, shipping dogs from different shelters on the same transport increased the chance of their exposure to distemper, other communicable viruses, and parasites.

Almost All the Puppies Didn’t Have Full Immunity from Distemper

As I noted earlier, puppies aren’t fully protected from distemper until about a week after their fourth and final vaccination when they’re 16-18 weeks old.

Until then, puppies shouldn’t be around dogs with unknown vaccination histories.

Both transports for D&G had puppies with dogs from shelters other than SPCA of Brazoria County. Both transports also had puppies that weren’t fully vaccinated for distemper.

• Reba, a 4 month old puppy, had 1 vaccination 11 days before the transport left Texas and 1 the day it left
• Chevy, a 4 month old puppy, had 1 vaccination 11 days before the transport left Texas
• Wishbone, a 4.5 month old puppy had 1 vaccination 9 days before the transport left Texas
• All 11 of Biloxi’s 3 week old puppies were too young to be vaccinated
• All 3 of Dolly’s 8 week old puppies had 1 vaccination 15 days before the transport left Texas and 1 the day it left
• The 8 week old Catahoula puppies had 1 distemper vaccination 14 days before the transport left for Texas

The only puppy on either transport that had its full set of distemper vaccinations was 4 month old Winston. He never developed distemper and is doing well with his new family.

Dogs and Puppies Had Health Problems Upon Arrival

Virtually all the dogs and puppies from SPCA of Brazoria County had health problems when the transports arrived. Sick dogs are more susceptible to viruses like distemper and should not be on transports.

Dogs on July 18 Transport

• Chevy was coughing and had both a runny nose and diarrhea.
• Wishbone and Chevy had severe cases of coccidia.
• Wishbone was lethargic, coughing, and sneezing.
• All the Catahoula puppies had giardia and coccidia.

Dogs on July 30 Transport

Shannon from D&G Dog Rescue said virtually all the dogs on this transport looked sick when they arrived.

• Dolly had a cough
• 2 of Dolly’s puppies had white gums, crusty eyes, and were lethargic.
• 2 of Dolly’s puppies were diagnosed with“massive” heart murmurs.
• 1 of Dolly’s puppies had to have 2 emergency fluid injections.
• Biloxi was extremely thin.
• Some of Biloxi’s puppies had coughing, and several of the puppies had crusty eyes.
• D&G’s vet said Biloxi and all her puppies “had every possible parasite” and “the highest levels of coccidia he had ever seen.”
• Pepe had a cough, a clear runny nose, and 6 rotten teeth. The vet said he was about 8 years old, not 3 as SPCA of Brazoria County claimed.
• Veteran was “skin and bones” and would not eat.

All of these dogs and puppies didn’t magically develop their health problems while on the transport for just 2 days. At least some of them must have been visibly sick when SPCA of Brazoria County put them on the transports.

Reputable rescues ensure their dogs and puppies are healthy before they can be adopted. They don’t put dogs with worms and other health problems on transports and force adopters or rescues that take the dogs to pay their medical bills.

Furthermore, I don’t understand how a veterinarian could sign health certificates saying these dogs were in good health. This certificate is for Reba. The vet examined her the day before she left on the transport.

The vet signed the document saying that Reba was “free from infectious, contagious, and/or communicable disease.” Yet Reba’s medical history from SPCA of Brazoria County shows her positive fecal float on the same day the vet signed the health certificate.

Fecal floats are tests used to identify worms and parasites. A vet diagnosed Reba with hookworm soon after she arrived in Washington.

How could the vet SPCA of Brazoria County used say Reba had no infectious, contagious, and/or communicable diseases when she had a positive fecal float?

SPCA of Brazoria County Didn’t Follow Its Own Vaccine Protocols

In the section of the August 5 memo to Reba’s owner admitting a puppy on her transport tested positive for distemper, SPCA of Brazoria County stated its vaccination policy:

This is a reasonable vaccination policy. Vaccines every 2 weeks. A total of 4 rounds in puppies and adults. Boost vaccines 2 weeks later. All puppies on transports have age appropriate vaccinations.

Unfortunately, SPCA of Brazoria County didn’t appear to follow its own vaccination policy with many dogs on the July transports to D&G.

Puppies should have all their distemper vaccines by the time they are 16-18 months old. But of the 4 puppies in that age range on the first transport, only Winston was fully vaccinated.

Chevy and Wishbone only had 1 vaccination several days before they left Texas.

Reba only had 2 vaccinations. They gave her the second one the day they put her on the transport, so it wouldn’t provide her with full protection for another week.

The 8 week old Catahoula puppies had 1 vaccination 2 weeks before they left Texas. Fortunately they never developed distemper.

Biloxi’s puppies were too young to be vaccinated. Dolly’s puppies had 1 vaccination 15 days before they left Texas and 1 the day they left.

SPCA of Brazoria County noted in its September 9 Facebook announcement about the distemper outbreak that vaccinations don’t provide, “immediate or guaranteed immunity.” Yet it vaccinated Reba’s and and Biloxi’s puppies the day they left Texas even though the vaccinations wouldn’t provide full immunity during the 2 day trip.

Most Dogs from July Transports Did Not Survive

Almost all the dogs and puppies from Texas sent to Oregon and Washington in July either died or were euthanized. Dogs with blue names survived. Dogs with red names did not.

Reba – 4 month old Schnauzer/Doodle mix

Reba began showing distemper symptoms about a week after she was adopted. Because distemper symptoms are similar to those of other ailments, her vet didn’t treat her for distemper until August 5 when SPCA of Brazoria County sent her owner the email saying a puppy on Reba’s transport had distemper. Although the vet began treating Reba’s symptoms immediately, her condition continued to worsen, and she died on August 24.

Chevy – 4 month old Bloodhound mix

Chevy began showing distemper symptoms after she was adopted in late July. She also infected her adopter’s other dog. The adopter euthanized the dog Chevy infected on August 6 because she couldn’t stand or breathe well.

She put down Chevy the next day because she was suffering badly; she shook constantly and couldn’t eat or stand.

Wishbone (Now Pepe) – 4.5 month old Terrier mix

Pepe was lethargic, coughing, and sneezing when he arrived. The Seattle woman who adopted him took him to the vet as his health continued to decline. He eventually tested positive for distemper. Fortunately his treatment eventually alleviated his symptoms and he’s doing much better.

He still has some heatlh problems though. His owner told me, “The worst is his skin, with incessant itching, scratching, and bleeding as a result from the distemper.”

She also said he started “shrieking and yelping in pain” whenever she picked him up.

The radiologist told her he had a malformation on the back of his skull that pinches the nerves on the back of his neck, which caused the pain. She said this defect “was not documented anywhere on the “clean bill of health” from Brazoria County. The vet said “he was born with this and it would be a lifelong impairment.”

7 Catahoula Puppies – 8 weeks old

The puppies looked in good shape when their transport arrived and all were adopted. None of them have developed distemper so far. They all have had their 3rd vaccines and their adopters are still on watch for distemper symptoms.

Winston – 4 month old Malinois

As I said before, Winston was the only puppy from SPCA of Brazoria County on the July transports that was fully vaccinated. He never developed any health problems.

Biloxi – 1 year old Pittie with 11 puppies (3 weeks old)
Dolly – 1.5 year old Shepherd mix with 3 puppies (8 weeks old)
Pepe – 3 year old Beagle/Lab mix
Veteran – 2 year old Terrier mix

All of these dogs/puppies from the second transport were in horrible shape when they arrived in Oregon on June 30. Some of the puppies has white gums and crusty eyes. Some were coughing, lethargic, and full of parasites. 2 had “massive” heart murmurs.

The adult dogs had clear, runny noses and coughs. Some were extremely skinny.

D&G took them to the vet right away but he didn’t suspect they had distemper until August 5. That’s when Reba’s adopter told Shannon about SPCA of Brazoria County’s email saying a puppy on the transport tested positive for distemper.

None of these dogs were tested for distemper, but they had the classic symptoms and none of the treatments they received helped. Instead, their condition worsened daily. And remember they were all in terrible physical condition when they arrived in Oregon on July 30.

If D&G had them tested for distemper the dogs/puppies would have suffered for another week while the rescue waited for the results. And if they tested positive they still would have had little chance of survival.

D&G euthanized Veteran on August 6 because he had an upper respiratory infection, wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t stand, couldn’t stop shaking, and had a crusty nose.

On August 10, Shannon made the heartbreaking decision to euthanize Pepe, Dolly, Biloxi, and all the puppies because their health continued to deteriorate and they were suffering terribly.

Before deciding to euthanize them, she consulted with the veterinarian for the rescue. She then talked with the vet for her personal dogs who also consulted with the veterinarian for the state of Oregon.

All three veterinarians said that to protect the health and safety of the community it would be best to euthanize them.

Rescue’s Actions Turns People Against Adoption

SPCA of Brazoria County questionable vaccination procedures for the dogs on the 2 transports have ramifications beyond the deaths of almost 2 dozen dogs and puppies. Reba’s and Pepe’s adopters suffered both financially and psychologically.

Reba’s adopter spent over $6000 on her multiple vet bills. Now she has a huge debt on her credit card that will take years to pay off. SPCA of Brazoria County did refund the $500 adoption fee she paid but refused to pay any of Reba’s vet bills.

Wishbone’s adopter owes her vet over $1000 for treating his distemper. D&G refunded the adoption fee and paid for over $1000 of her medical bills

Both adopters told me that said their horrendous experiences with SPCA of Brazoria County will make them less likely to adopt a rescue dog in the future.

Reba’s adopter said, “it has made me very hesitant but I’m passionate about rescuing. I can’t say I’d jump into a transported dog again which is unfortunate because they need it the most. I’m passionate about rescue and additionally I couldn’t afford $2k on a breeder puppy. Isn’t that ironic?! I avoided it completely because I thought that was the riskier thing to do.

Every friend I know is now using my situation as a cautionary tale stating this is why they’ll only go to reputable breeders. I will still probably rescue but I’ve learned you really really have to do your research and ask a lot of questions. For now I’m just going to foster. Try to make something good from this mess.”

Pepe’s adopter told me, “This disease and the negligence of the shelter in Brazoria county has led to so much pain and sadness within our family. I have lost 10lbs from not eating due to stress and have been losing hair. We are also in credit card debt from taking him to the ER visit.

I can’t sleep at night because he still coughs and is restless from the itching. It has been very very hard. We worked so hard to build a home for a pup, and the negligence of Brazoria County SPCA had ruined that for us. We are optimistic for recovery, but aren’t sure we could ever do this again.”

Distemper Fiasco Forces Cut Backs for D&G Dog Rescue

Shannon from D&G Dog Rescue told me they ran up about $7000 in medical bills treating the sick dogs.

D&G will no longer rescue dogs outside the Northwest. She told me that, “The rescues from Texas are getting desperate and cutting corners and that is just going to bring diseases into the PNW.”

To its credit SPCA of Brazoria County did pay for the euthanizations. I believe it should also pay the vet bills for the dogs from the July transports.

The rescue admitted the dogs on the first transport tested positive for distemper, and it sent visibly unhealthy dogs on the second transport.

SPCA of Brazoria County had $1.8 million dollars in total assets at the end of 2020 according to the Form 990 it sent to the IRS. Paying the vet bills would have a minuscule financial impact on it.

SPCA of Brazoria County Facilitated Spread of Distemper

Distemper is an insidious virus; even the most meticulous, well-run dog rescues can have distemper outbreaks.

I don’t know what procedures SPCA of Brazoria County took to prevent a distemper outbreak at its facility; however, I believe it facilitated spread of distemper from its facility in Texas to the Northwest and Midwest by

• Waiting 4 days after learning a dog on the transport tested positive for distemper to alert the public about “a positive distemper results associated with the shelter population”
• Not telling every rescue/adopter that took dogs in July about the distemper outbreak at its facility
• Not properly vaccinating puppies it put on the July transports and sending them with dogs from other facilities
• Putting visibly sick dogs and dogs full of parasites on the July transports

I sent several questions to Brazoria County SPCA to get their side of the story but they said they couldn’t respond due to “potential ongoing legal proceedings.”

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WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS EXPLICIT DESCRIPTIONS OF ANIMAL ABUSE.

Erika Johnson is a nationally renowned animal cruelty investigator who worked for Joint Animal Services (JAS) in Lacey for 16 years.

As a field supervisor, she conducted dozens of investigations into reports of animal cruelty in Thurston County. Due to her expertise, animal control agencies in other counties often requested her help with their own animal cruelty investigations.

Both local and national organizations have recognized Officer Johnson’s work on behalf of animals. Pasado’s Safe Haven in Sultan, WA gave its Bucky Award for Excellence to her and Thurston County prosecutors in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Pasado’s also gave her 2 honorable mentions in 2015.

And in 2017 the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) recognized Officer Johnson for Excellence in Humane Law Enforcement. She was one of only 5 individuals in the US to receive this prestigious award.

Officer Johnson’s most horrific case involved a 3-year-old pitbull named Diamond. She was a therapy dog for her owner’s 8-year-old son.

A relative of Diamond’s owner named James Leory Evans offered to watch her while the owner searched for dog friendly housing.

While at Evan’s home, Diamond killed his pet iguana. An enraged Evans sexually assaulted Diamond and hung her from a tree in Thurston County in March of 2016.

The next day a biker found the dead dog hanging from the tree. Investigators later found scratch marks on the tree that Diamond made while she struggled after Evans hung her.

Officer Johnson lead the investigation that resulted in Evan’s guilty plea to first degree animal abuse in 2017. She said it was the worst case of animal abuse she had ever seen. Dog lovers from across the US and in 26 countries closely followed the case.

The judge sentenced Evans to a year in jail, the maximum sentence possible.

Diamond was cremated 2017. After the trial, Officer Johnson promised Diamond’s owner that she would get a proper burial.

She and an investigator from Pasado’s Safe Haven who helped spearhead the investigation into Diamond’s death decided to put a headstone to honor Diamond on Pasado’s property and sprinkle her ashes in the stream that runs through it.

Officer Johnson kept the ashes in her office while she tried to organize a gathering at Pasado’s to honor Diamond’s memory.

Due to COVID and the difficulty finding a time convenient for people involved with the case to attend, Johnson wasn’t able to find a time to schedule the gathering.

The problem with who should possess Diamond’s ashes began when JAS forced her to leave. The reasons for her departure are too complex to address in this post.

When Officer Johnson went to JAS to clean out her office, Diamond’s ashes weren’t there.

When she asked if she could have Diamond’s ashes, Mary Ann Hardie, the Human Resources Director for Lacey, sent her this email saying she couldn’t have them:

The email shocked Officer Johnson, who told me that “never in the history of my thousands of cases in two states have I ever been denied the evidence upon disposition. I am the investigator and only I can decide what happens to it after the case is adjudicated and over.”

In addition, she said that “the prosecutor always returns the evidence to the person who collected it. The only reason Animal Services is noted in the Disposition letter is to identify the law enforcement agency I’m with.”

Here’s the memo from 2017 from Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney Jon Tunheim releasing Diamond’s ashes to Officer Johnson:

Officer Johnson also told me that since Diamond’s owner moves frequently, so she find and ask him to authorize the release of Diamond’s ashes to him.

I don’t understand why the city of Lacey and JAS won’t turn over Diamond’s ashes to Officer Johnson.

You could say that since Johnson no longer works for Joint Animal Services she no longer has a right to claim Diamond’s ashes.

But why should that matter?

Evans’ case had been adjudicated. He pled guilty and served his sentence. Diamond’s ashes no longer serve any purpose for the legal system. They will just sit on a shelf gathering dust until someone eventually throws them out.

Officer Johnson is a nationally recognized animal cruelty investigator. While at JAS she tracked down hundreds animal abusers.

It makes no sense that the city of Lacey would rather keep Diamond’s ashes locked away instead of allowing her to have the proper burial.

People want to honor Diamond’s memory by giving her a final resting place in a peaceful, pastoral setting surrounded by animal lovers dedicated to stopping animal abuse.

There is absolutely no reason for Lacey to keep Diamond’s ashes any longer. I urge Mayor Andy Ryder to authorize their release to Officer Johnson and allow Diamond to rest In peace.

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WARNING! THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT DESCRIPTIONS OF ANIMAL ABUSE.

Several media outlets reported last week that a homeless man accused of killing a 14-year-old Jack Russell Terrier named Alice in Seattle’s Pioneer Square last month did not appear at his second court appearance.

The man is also accused of assaulting John Hickey, the dog’s 67-year-old owner.

A warrant has now been issued for his arrest on two felony counts: first-degree attempted theft and first-degree animal cruelty. 

Here’s how the Seattle Police Blotter described the vicious attack that occurred on May 31:

“On Saturday afternoon, the 67-year-old victim was walking his dog through City Hall Park. The suspect confronted him and demanded his jacket. The victim feared the suspect was going to forcibly take the jacket from him, so he pepper-sprayed the suspect in self-defense. The suspect backed away and the victim attempted to leave the area.”

“As the victim was walking away, the suspect ran up behind him and kicked his dog so hard she flew into the air. The victim was also pushed to the ground in the process and sustained minor injuries. When he stood up to go to his dog, he could see she was deceased. The dog was fourteen years old.”

Investigators told KIRO 7 that the man accused of killing Alice, 29-year-old Courtney J. Williams, lived in a tent near City Hall Park next to the King County Courthouse.

In light of viciousness of the attack that killed Alice and injured her owner, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office reportedly asked Judge Marcus Naylor to hold the suspect on $25,000 bail and find probable cause for felony animal cruelty.

KIRO 7 reported that both Seattle Police and the prosecutor told Judge Naylor, “(The suspect) is now a complete danger to the public and property. If he is released, he will more than likely to return to City Hall Park, where his assaultive/destructive/aggressive behavior will continue to increase and cause havoc to residents and visitors of the Seattle area.”

But inexplicably, Judge Naylor not only decided to release Williams from jail on his on recognizance, he also reduced the recommended sentence second-degree animal cruelty, which is only a gross misdemeanor.

According to KIRO 7, prosecutors now say that because Williams has no known address, “officers will have to find the suspect and re-arrest him.”

What the hell was Judge Naylor thinking???

How could he possibly decide against both the recommendation of the prosecutor and Seattle police that a man accused of killing a small, 14-year-old dog and assaulting her elderly owner in broad daylight deserved to be released from jail with no bail?

He didn’t even think the suspect should be charged with a felony. Apparently kicking a dog to death is only a misdemeanor in Judge Naylor’s court.

Fortunately, King County prosecutors charged Williams with first degree animal cruelty on June 4 anyway.

“We’re not going to ignore this case … to have this kind of abuse against an animal and to know it’s happening at a time when there’s a rise in animal cruelty cases, it’s really sickening,” Casey McNerthney with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office told KIRO 7.

Mr. Hickey told Q13 that he’s not sure what his life will be like without Alice.

“She got me through days when I literally don’t think I would’ve gotten up in the morning. Except I knew she needed me and she knew that I needed her.”

A gofundme has been set up for Mr. Hickey in hopes funds can help him move out of Pioneer Square. 

A profile of Judge Naylor in the King County Bar Association’s Bar Bulletin about a year ago noted that “Judge Marcus Naylor’s courtroom is about the three “C”s — community, connection and compassion.”

I fail to see any compassion for Mr. Hickey or Alice in Judge Naylor’s ruling.

Judge Naylor was elected to the Northeast Division of the King County District Court in 2018.

I hope Seattle voters will remember how Judge Naylor handled this case when he is up for election in 2022.

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Canine heartworm cases in Washington continued their upward trajectory in 2020 according to data from the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC).

The number of heartworm cases in Washington climbed from 461 in 2019 to 733 in 2020, an increase of 59%. Since 2014, the number of cases increased from 108 to 733, an increase of 579%.

Seattle DogSpot obtained the data from CAPC’s Parasite Prevalence Maps.

The maps show that the number of cases for various parasites Washington counties reported to CAPC for every year from 2014-2019. Here are some of the highlights regarding canine heartworm:

• Canine heartworm cases in Snohomish, Pierce, and Skagit Counties more than tripled from 2019 to 2020.
• The number of heartworm cases in Snohomish County increased from 5 in 2014 to 305 last year, an increase of 2020%.
• In King County, heartworm cases reported in 2020 (305) were almost 9 times higher than the number reported in 2014 (36).
• Only 3 cases of heartworm were reported in Spokane County in 2014. Last year, 41 cases were reported, an increase of 1267%.

Obviously, the number of cases in some counties like Spokane is small, but they still indicate a significant upward trend reflected in many parts of the state.

A chart showing the changes in heartworm cases for all Washington counties from 2014-2019 is at the end of this post

Canine Heartworm Can Be Fatal

Mosquitos transmit the heartworm parasite by biting an infected dog and ingesting its blood which contains microscopic worms called microfilaria.  

Once inside the mosquito, the worms change into larvae after about 2 weeks. The mosquito transmits the larvae when it bites an uninfected dog and leaves them on its skin.

The larvae enter the dog’s bloodstream through the bite and migrate through its circulatory system. About 6 months later they mature into adult worms.

These adults will eventually end up in a the dog’s heart, lungs and associated blood vessels where they can live 5-7 years.

A dog may not show any signs of heartworm in the early stages of the disease. Eventually, it will develop one or more of these symptoms:

• a mild persistent cough
• reluctance to exercise
• fatigue
• decreased appetite
• weight loss

Left untreated, heartworms can multiply to the point where they cause inflammation in a dog’s arteries and around its lungs. 

The inflammation is more severe in dogs with higher numbers of heartworms.

As heartworm progresses, excess fluid in a dog’s abdomen can cause heart failure. It can also cause sudden blockages of blood flow within the heart leading to a life-threatening form of cardiovascular collapse called caval syndrome.

Heartworm can be fatal if it isn’t identified and treated in its early stages.

Why Have Canine Heartworm Cases in Washington Increased So Significantly?

When we got our first dog in 2002, our vet told us we didn’t need to give him heartworm prevention medication because so few cases were ever reported in Washington.

But in 2020 she told me that due to the increase in heartworm cases in Washington she will most likely start recommending heartworm preventative treatments for all the dogs in her practice.

In 2017 Dr. Brian Joseph, the State Veterinarian at the Washington State Department of Agriculture, told me the factors he believed caused heartworm cases to rise so sharply in Washington over the last few years:

• climate change
• lack of prevention
• rescue groups that bring heartworm positive dogs in that state with inaccurate, fake or no certificates of veterinary inspection (health certificates)

Dr. Joseph also told me that at a recent United States Animal Health Association meeting, people from the US Department of Agriculture said that “there may be as many as one million dogs brought into the United States every year from foreign countries, but as few as 10,000 may have appropriate health documentation.“

That means approximately 99% of the dogs brought into the United States from other countries don’t have proper health documents.

This doesn’t mean all dogs brought to the United States from other countries have heartworms or other parasites. Still, you can’t ignore the fact that the increasing number of heartworm cases in Washington have occurred as more rescues import dogs

Climate Change and Lack of Prevention

Mosquitos need a warm climate to reproduce. The warmer the weather, the faster they propagate.

In an interview with KUOW in 2014, Washington State University entomologist Sharon Collman said, “In hot weather, it can take a mosquito egg four to five days to mature to adulthood. In cool weather, it takes two to three weeks.”

Data from the climate.gov shows that temperatures in Washington in 2020 were above the average temperature from 1981-2020.

And according to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, the average annual temperatures in Washington “have risen approximately 1.5°F and temperatures over the past three decades have been warmer than any other historical period” since the beginning of the 20th century.

Based on this information, it’s reasonable to assume that above normal average temperatures in Washington for the last few decades created a more favorable environment for mosquitos to reproduce quickly.

Hot weather = More mosquitos = Greater Potential for Heartworm to Thrive

I think the explanation is straightforward regarding the lack of prevention.

For years, Washington veterinarians told their clients they didn’t need to use a preventative because heartworm was so rare here.

Veterinarians embedded this mantra into the minds of Washington dog owners for years; as a result, we checked heartworm off our list of potential threats to our dogs’ health and didn’t worry about taking steps to prevent it.

Some Dog Rescues Bring Heartworm Positive Dogs to Washington

In the last 10-15 years, dog rescues, municipal shelters, and animal transporters created a massive network to move dogs from states with overcrowded, high kill shelters to areas like the Pacific Northwest  “where euthanasia rates are lower and pets are in greater demand.”

Rescuers built this infrastructure in 2005 “when Hurricane Katrina left more than 250,000 pets stranded.” Their effort showed dog rescues “a new way to find placements for unwanted dogs.” 

Western Washington is a popular destination for these dogs.

Our shelters often have space for them due to our high spay/neuter rates and a greater demand for adopting shelter dogs. 

This transportation network saved the lives of tens of thousands of dogs. It also created the opportunity for people to start fake rescues that bring dogs to Washington from other areas and sell them for hundreds of dollars.

Many of these dogs come from states with high rates of heartworm infections like Texas. And overcrowded shelters there eagerly give dogs to rescues that will take them.

The American Heartworm Society notes that transporting dogs can spread heartworm. Specially, AHS says:

“Transporting and relocating dogs is an increasingly common practice. Whether the situation is an owned pet accompanying emigrating or traveling caretakers, the relocation of homeless animals for adoption, or the movement of dogs for competition, exhibition, research or sale, this process carries the risk of spreading infectious diseases. This includes the transmission of Dirofilaria immitis when infected dogs are microfilaremic.”

In addition, an article on the Galena Veterinary Hospital website notes:

“Canine heartworm disease is another disease, that while prevalent in certain areas of North America, in other areas it’s uncommon/does not occur. It’s important to be aware that a rescue dog coming from an area of high heartworm incidence could be infected with heartworm disease and may require specialized, expensive, and risky treatment. Additionally, bringing a heartworm positive dog into an area where there are few heartworm cases and few dogs are on heartworm preventives also brings the risk that the “environment” becomes contaminated and heartworm disease becomes a bigger problem in the area.“

Unscrupulous Dog Rescues Skirt Health Testing Rules

Washington requires that before any dog comes into the state it must be “tested negative for heartworm or are currently on a heartworm preventative” (they must also have a current rabies vaccination).

People who run fake dog rescues want to make as much money as possible, so they often import dogs to Washington that haven’t been tested for heartworm because:

1. Heartworm tests aren’t cheap. Initial tests cost $35-$75, and confirmation tests, which most vets require due to the length and expense of treating heartworm, cost $20-$40.

2. Heartworm treatment is time consuming and expensive. Treating a heartworm positive dog can take several months and cost thousands of dollars.

Inevitably, some of these dogs have heartworm, and every one of the growing number of mosquitos in Washington that bites one of them can potentially infect other dogs here.

Furever Homes Rescue near Olympia is one of the rescues that brought dogs from Mexico to Washington without the required health certificates.

In 2018 the Washington Department of Agriculture citied them for bringing dogs into Washington without health certificates. Another dog had a health certificate without the heartworm testing requirement.

When you adopt a dog brought to Washington from another state or county, ask the rescue to see its health certificate. If it doesn’t have one, find another rescue because the dog you want to adopt could potentially have heartworms.

How to Protect Your Dog from Heartworm

While the number of heartworm cases in Washington increased significantly since 2014, the percentage of heartworm cases vs. the number of dogs tested is still much lower than other states.

In 2019, 0.6% of the dogs in Washington checked for heartworm tested positive (733 out of 129,555).  

Compare that to the percentages of positive cases in the 5 states with the highest incidences of heartworm in 2020 according to the American Heartworm Society:

MS 8.2%
LA 6.6%
AK 4.4%
AL 4.2%
TX 3.1%

However, just because Washington’s heartworm rate is much lower than these states doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have your dog tested for heartworm or put it on a preventative.

The upward trend in Washington shown on the Parasite Prevalence Maps indicates our heartworm rates will continue to increase, particularly if the increased transport of rescue dogs from states with high heartworm states to Washington continues.

That’s why Washington dog owners should ask their vets if their dogs should be on a heartworm preventative; in addition, if the dog you want to adopt from a rescue came from another state ask to see the its health certificate to see if a vet tested it for heartworm. If they can’t provide it, don’t adopt a dog from that organization. 

For more information on heartworm, please visit the Companion Animal Parasite Council website or the American Heartworm Society’s website.

About the Numbers

CAPC notes that the data in the map “is statistically significant and it serves as a strong representation of the parasite activity for each area. However, it does not represent the total number of positive tests. Instead, we estimate it represents less than 30% of the activity in the geographic regions.”

The numbers are underreported because not all veterinarians send the results of their heartworm testing to CAPC. The blank spaces in the chart means CAPC had no information from that county.

These counties didn’t send any test results to CAPC from 2014-2020 : Columbia, Pacific, Skamania, Wahkiakum, Okanogan, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, and Garfield.

Some counties like Whitman didn’t send test information for one or more years, but did send it for other years. A zero means a county did heartworm testing but had no positive results.

These numbers don’t include every heartworm test for every dog in every county. But they affirm the that the number of heartworm cases reported in Washington has spiked dramatically since 2014.

* = There is no formula for calculating the percent change if the value for 2012 is 0.

Heartworm cases in Washington state counties ranked by percentage increase from 2014-2019

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Last summer I moved to Orcas Island off the coast of NW Washington near Bellingham. The only way to get there is to take a ferry from Anacortes.

When I drove up to catch the ferry to Orcas to look at houses, I would pass the Pet Emergency Center on Highway 536 between Mt. Vernon and Anacortes. Because Orcas doesn’t have an animal hospital, it would be the closest 24/7 emergency vet hospital near me.

Whenever I drove past, I wondered how difficult it would be to get one of my dogs there if it had a medical emergency.

Well, now I know.

A Labrador Retriever Turns Down Food? Inconceivable!

Last month, Haley, my 7-year-old yellow lab, threw up grass a couple of nights in a row. She’s never thrown up grass after eating it before so I was concerned when she did it twice.

The morning after she threw up the second time she vomited up her entire breakfast. I thought she just had an upset stomach, so for her afternoon meal I made her chicken and rice.

She just looked at the bowl and walked away.

For those of you who have never been around Labs, they are food-obsessed eating machines. If Oliver Twist had been a Lab, he would never have hesitated about asking for more gruel.

Because Haley’s voraciousness is far greater than that of any other Lab I’ve ever seen, her refusal of food raised a HUGE red flag for me. I immediately made an appointment the next day with the local vet, Orcas Veterinary Service.

Vet Visit is Inconclusive

After the vet took X-rays she called me to say she thought Haley had some sort of an obstruction in her intestines. Because they didn’t have the equipment to take a clear picture of the blockage, she said I should take Haley to an emergency vet immediately to verify her diagnosis.

At this point the challenge of getting emergency care for my dog on an island changed from a small ember of concern to a roaring forest fire of panic.

When I lived in Seattle I could get to my preferred emergency animal hospital in 20-30 minutes; however, on Orcas Island the ferry schedule dictates how long it will take to go anywhere on the mainland. Many times the ferries are late so your trip will take longer than you anticipated.

I checked the ferry schedule after I spoke to the doctor at about 2:30. The next ferry to Anacortes would leave at 4.

Because no one is guaranteed a space on a ferry without a reservation (which I didn’t have), I had to get to the ferry dock ASAP to have a chance of getting on it.

If I missed it, the next ferry didn’t leave until after 8, and I wouldn’t have arrived at the hospital until 10. So not only would my poor sick dog have to sit in my car for 6 hours (or longer if the ferry was late), I would also miss the last ferry back to Orcas and have to stay in Anacortes overnight.

Bottom line: I HAD to get on that 4:00 ferry.

A Frantic Drive to the Ferry

Trying hard to quell my panic, I asked the vet to have Haley ready to go when I arrived. I then jumped in the car with my other dog Miguel and drove to pick her up.

The vet tech had Haley ready to go when I arrived. She hooked Haley up to an IV because she was dehydrated and needed lots of fluids.

The vet tech quickly got Haley in the car and set up her IV. She told me I could pay the bill some other time so I wouldn’t waste any time.

With one sick dog and one old dog in tow, I left the vet and headed to the ferry.

I’m not a religious person, but during the 20 minute ride to the ferry dock I prayed over and over: “Please let us get on the ferry, please let us get on the ferry, please let us get on the ferry……”.

We arrived about 30 minutes before the ferry was scheduled to leave. The line of cars didn’t look particularly long, so I thought we’d get on; however, when I asked the woman at the ferry booth if we could get on, she said it was full.

As I stiffled the urge to scream, “MY DOG WILL DIE IF YOU DON’T LET US ON THAT FERRY!”, I told her as calmly as possible that my dog was having a health crisis and I had to get her to the emergency vet.

I don’t know if my tear-streaked face or my pathetic looking dog hooked up to an IV changed her mind, but she told me to get in line and they’d find a way to get me on.

If we hadn’t been in the middle of COVID I would have leaped out of the car and given her a big hug. Instead, I thanked her effusively and pulled into line.

After the hour-long ferry ride to Anacortes I made the 20 minute drive to the emergency vet in 10 minutes.

Full Parking Lot at the Emergency Vet

My heart sank as I pulled into the parking lot at the Pet Emergency Center and saw two dozen cars of people either waiting to drop off or pick up their dogs.

If you’ve ever been unfortunate enough to take your dog to an emergency vet, you know admitting and discharging dogs can be an extremely slow process. The staff take awhile to get triage information from upset dog owners dropping off their pets or give extensive discharge instructions to people picking them up.

After getting Haley on the wait list, I hesitated to ask for updates about when they could admit her because I knew the staff had difficult jobs dealing with people concerned about their pets. And maintaining COVID protocols made their jobs even tougher.

When I arrived I had about 2-1/2 hours before I had to leave to catch the last ferry back to Orcas. After 90 minutes they only admitted 3 or 4 dogs.

My anxiety level skyrocketed because I wasn’t prepared to stay overnight with Miguel in Anacortes because when I rushed out the door I forgot his food and pain meds.

But as the time I had to leave for the ferry loomed, I called to see when they would admit her. They assured me they would admit her in time for me to catch the ferry.

Sure enough, with about 15 minutes to spare, they came out, took down Haley’s medical info, and took her inside. Due to COVID I could not to go in with her, which was excruciatingly difficult.

Watching her slowly, dutifully walk inside with her head and tail down just crushed me.

I couldn’t dwell on that too long though, because Miguel and I had a ferry to catch. I reluctantly drove away while trying prevent my mind from inventing a variety of incurable ailments Haley could have and wondering if I would see her alive again again.

We arrived in Anacortes in time to catch the ferry and collapsed into bed about midnight.

Veterinarians Find Cause of Intestinal Blockage

An MRI didn’t provide conclusive evidence of blockage in her intestines, but an ultrasound showed an obstruction so they took her into surgery to remove it.

The culprit? A piece of of a rubber ChuckIt! ball.

I’d seen her tearing apart these balls before but I didn’t see her have a piece of one.

The surgery went well but her recovery took a bit longer than they anticipated because she developed pancreatitis and wouldn’t eat anything for a couple of days.

She ended up staying in the hospital for a week. A long, excruciating, anxiety-filled week.

Haley’s absence was also tough on Miguel. He just stopped eating.

I tried tempting him by adding chicken and salmon (his favorite) to his food. Nothing worked. He didn’t even eat treats.

Eventually I had to give him an appetite stimulant from the vet before he started eating again.

Haley Has Recovered and We’re Staying on Orcas Island

Haley has fully recovered and is back to her normal food-hunting, ball-chasing life.

Whenever I drive past the Pet Emergency Center in Mt. Vernon now, I no longer wonder how difficult it would be to get my dogs there during a medical emergency. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being most difficult, I’d say it’s about a 9.

But I have no regrets moving my dogs to an island because they love it here.

They can walk unleashed on walks on the remote roads around our house. They sniff tons the new smells. There are thousands of acres of forested land to explore. Haley discovered she loves to eat deer poop (I’m not thrilled about that one).

I also spend more time with them at home, and I’m less stressed here than in Seattle. If I’m less stressed, so are they.

Also, as in many small communities, people step up to help neighbors who need it.

From the vet tech who set up Haley’s IV in my car and told me I could pay her bill another day, to the ferry worker who squeezed me in on the boat, to the staff at the Pet Emergency Center who expedited Haley’s intake so I could catch the ferry back home, to the staff at Orcas Veterinary Service who called to see how she was doing at the emergency vet, I had a support system of people to help me get Haley the care she needed as quickly as possible.

So while living on an island does present some extra challenges for me and my dogs, we’re ecstatic about living here, and we aren’t leaving!

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The post The Challenge of Living on an Island with No Emergency Vet appeared first on Seattle DogSpot.

Last year, Seattle City Light’s 10th annual contact voltage survey showed that the number of streetlights emitting dangerous levels of electricity in Seattle decreased by 83% since 2010.

The utility started the testing program after a German Shorthaired Pointer named Sammy was electrocuted on Thanksgiving Day in 2010 after he stepped on a wet metal plate next to a defective streetlight in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood.

What is Contact Voltage?

If you’re like the majority of dog owners, you probably haven’t heard of contact voltage before. I certainly hadn’t until Sammy’s death in 2010.

Contact voltage (sometimes called stray voltage) occurs when a streetlight “leaks” electricity due to aging infrastructure, damage, weather, improper installation, rodent activity, copper wire theft, or corrosion.

The leaking voltage can electrify metal plates, manhole covers, fire hydrants, or any other metal object near the faulty streetlight.

These electrified metal objects can produce enough voltage to seriously injure or kill humans and animals that touch them.

Seattle City Light is responsible for approximately 85,000 streetlights within its 131-square mile service territory. Nearly 35,000 structures are conductive including poles, handholes and access covers.

It’s virtually impossible for Seattle City Light (or any other utility in a major city) to prevent all of them from ever giving off contact voltage.

However, many cities have found that they can significantly reduce the number of contact voltage incidents by testing its inventory of metal streetlights and plates annually and fixing any faulty streetlights they find.

Seattle City Light Initially Dismissed Concerns with Contact Voltage

Before Sammy was electrocuted, Seattle City Light didn’t have a regular streetlight testing program. And even afterwards, Superintendent Jorge Carrasco said, “We want the public to be assured that this was an isolated incident.”

The Seattle PI noted that Seattle City Light declared that Sammy’s death was an isolated incident “despite its ongoing investigation and despite other reports from dog owners with similar experiences elsewhere in the city.”

Superintendent Carrasco left Seattle City Light in 2015.

Here are a few statements from dog owners in the PI article:

“John McDowell said he had been walking his dog, Oslo, in the same Queen Anne area the day before Thanksgiving, when his dog let out a “bloodcurdling, screaming yelp” and fell to the ground with convulsions.”

“On the Queen Anne View blog, a dog owner named Marla described how her dog had yelped and “flew backwards” seemingly in shock, after peeing on a light post in Belltown.”

“The owner said she had complained to City Light and got no response. She wrote, “I wonder if it will take a child getting hurt/dying to get them to fix these?” “

“Another dog owner commented on the blog that her cocker spaniel had also been injured after stepping on metal plate in West Seattle, which caused it to yelp and writhe in pain.”

Seattle City Light Decided to Test All the City’s Streetlights

As proof began to mount that other dogs had been shocked by streetlights in different parts of the city, Seattle City Light realized Sammy’s death was not an isolated incident.

As a result, it decided to test all the metal streetlights and plates in its service area.

The testing found 56 streetlights giving off at least 30 volts of electricity and another 102 giving off less than 30 volts.

In May 2011, Superintendent Carrasco announced that the utility would test all the streetlights in its service area every year.

He also noted that although SCL initially we planned to do testing on a four-year cycle, “we decided that because many parts of our streetlight system have equipment that is more than forty years old, we needed to test it more frequently.”

Testing Streetlights Annually Improves Public Safety

Last November, Seattle City Light released a report documenting its contact voltage testing for 2019.

The report shows that the number of streetlights releasing contact voltage went from 164 in 2010 to 28 in 2019.

That’s a decrease of about 83%!

These numbers clearly show Seattle City Light’s annual testing program significantly reduced the number of malfunctioning streetlights in the city.

Seattle City Light’s Joint Use and Streetlight Engineering Group issued this statement about its testing program to Seattle DogSpot:

“Seattle City Light’s contact voltage detection program demonstrates our commitment to safety, both for the public and our employees. Since the program’s inception in 2010, we’ve conducted the contact voltage survey on approximately 85,000 streetlights within our 131-square mile service territory.

We also evaluate structures, including poles, handholes, and access covers. City Light has implemented testing practices for our crews and contractors performing routine streetlight maintenance. These improvements allow us to prioritize our investments while keeping our customers and employees safe.”

Seattle City Light should be commended for testing its equipment annually and quickly fixing faulty streetlights when it finds them.

Its initial decision to test its equipment annually laid the groundwork for the drastic reduction in faulty streetlights in Seattle over the last 10 years.

And having fewer faulty streetlights in Seattle has made our sidewalks safer for both people and their dogs.

Contact Voltage is Still a Threat

Despite the success of Seattle’s streetlight testing program, it doesn’t guarantee all Seattle streetlight will never emit contact voltage.

Here are some tips from Seattle City Light’s website on how to avoid contact voltage:

• When walking your pet, be aware if your pet acts strangely around any potentially energized metal equipment;
• Avoid contact with metal equipment that could be energized;
• Don’t tie your pet’s leash to a streetlight or near a handhole;

• Report any streetlights that remain on during the day, or that flicker during the evening. This could indicate a problem;
• Always immediately report any situation you are concerned about to us by calling (206) 684-7056. After normal business hours, call (206) 684-7400.
• Click here to report a malfunctioning streetlight or a streetlight that is out.

Thank You, Sammy and Lisa

The one positive from Sammy’s death was it educated dog owners about the potential danger of contact voltage.

And although witnessing Sammy’s horrible death traumatized Lisa, she somehow found the strength to educate people (including me) about the danger contact voltage posed to dogs by starting a blog and doing multiple media interviews, including this one on the Today Show.

It also set into motion the series of events that eventually led to the creation of Seattle City Light’s streetlight testing program and improved public safety in Seattle.

Thank you, Sammy. Rest in peace.

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The post Seattle Sidewalks Safer for Dogs After A Decade of Streetlight Testing appeared first on Seattle DogSpot.

(Editor’s Note: This post was originally posted in 2010. Please read here for an update about City Light’s contact voltage testing program in 2021).

Welcome Announcement from Seattle City Light

On December 8, Seattle City Light announced that it will “inspect and to make repairs, if necessary, to any of the 20,000 metal streetlight poles and 10,000 metal “hand holes” (small streetlight vault covers)” in the utility’s service territory.

The utility made the announcement after a West Seattle woman told the company that a faulty streetlight shocked her dog. She explained what happened on website West Seattle Blog:

“Sophia has been acting weird around the pole for a couple months. They only ran a line to it about 4 months ago becuse it was one that has never worked and it took years to get them out here to fix it. Once they ran a line to it then it was on 24 hours a day.

Then Sunday night we were also walking a friends dog and she touched the base……and started as if she had been shocked but mildly.

I called the next day. I should have put 2 and 2 together sooner and not just thought my dog was being a drama queen. Leave it to Sophia. Now I have to train her to stop being scared of it, that’s going to take some work.”

Not an “Isolated Incident” After All

SCL’s announcement was quite different than its response to the death of a dog named Sammy in Queen Anne a few days earlier when a metal plate next to a faulty streetlight electrocuted him.

In response to that tragic event, SCL Superintendent Jorge Carrasco said, “We want to assure the public that this was an isolated incident.“

In a previous article I wrote that, “the Seattle Department of Transportation, not SCL, had the responsibility for approving the installation of private streetlights; also, no written records exist for these installations before July of 2010.

If no records exist, how could Superintendent Carrasco know if the contact voltage that killed Sammy was an isolated incident?“

Seattle City Light Finally Tests for Faulty Streetlights

In my opinion, Superintendent Carrasco’s made the assertion that the faulty streetlight in Queen Anne was an isolated incident because he didn’t want to alarm the public and wanted to avoid having to test the 20,000 metal streetlight poles and 10,000 metal “hand holes” in the utility’s service territory.

The only reason SCL decided to do the testing now is because a faulty streetlight shocked another dog.

I do want to thank Lisa McKibbin, who fought SCL’s attempts to sweep the death of her dog Sammy under the rug and kept this story in the media.

Despite her grief, she used Sammy’s death as a touchstone for keeping pressure on SCL through sammysbigheart, the blog she created after Sammy’s death.

Her efforts will prevent future injuries and/or deaths of both people and pets.

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The post Seattle City Light to Test All Metal Streetlights After 2nd Dog Was Electrocuted appeared first on Seattle DogSpot.

(Editor’s Note: This post was originally posted in 2010. Please read here for an update about City Light’s contact voltage testing program in 2021).

No Proof of “Isolated Incident”

On November 25th, a 6-year-old dog named Sammy was electrocuted after he stepped on a metal plate next to a faulty streetlight in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood.

In response to this tragedy, Seattle City Light Superintendent Jorge Carrasco released an open letter today that said the following:

“On Thanksgiving, a dog was electrocuted on Queen Anne Avenue when it came into contact with a metal plate covering some electrical wires for four streetlights.

This was a tragic incident and devastating for the family that owned the dog. We are truly sorry for their loss of a beloved family member.

I want to assure the public that as soon as City Light was made aware of the situation, we responded by de-energizing the electrical service.

Our crews investigated the cause. We discovered that the original installation in 2006 did not include proper grounding of the four lights.

Our crews have made the necessary repairs to all these lights and tested for any potential electrical charges. There is no electrical charge to any of the lights or groundcover plates. All the streetlights are functioning.

We want the public to be assured that this was an isolated incident. We are researching our records to determine whether there are similar lights elsewhere in our system. If we find there are, they will be inspected and any necessary repairs will be made immediately.”

Seattle City Light Hopes Public Will Forget About Dog’s Death

While I appreciate that SCL responded quickly to repair the faulty streetlights, how could Sammy’s death an isolated incident.

As I previously wrote, the Seattle Department of Transportation, not SCL, had the responsibility for approving the installation of private streetlights; in addition, no written records exist for these installations before July of 2010.

If no records exist, how can Superintendent Carrasco know if the contact voltage from the faulty streetlight that killed Sammy was an isolated incident?

Furthermore, since Sammy died, people from various parts of Seattle contacted Lisa to who say their dogs were shocked.

In fact, contact voltage shocked another dog not far from where Sammy died. Fortunately, it survived.

To me, Superintendent Carrasco’s pronouncement that Sammy’s electrocution was an “isolated event” was based on hope rather than fact; that is, he hoped no other dogs would be shocked so the public would forget Sammy’s death.

And the sooner the public forgot about Sammy, the sooner Seattle City Light could continue ignoring the problem of broken streetlights.

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