READER REPORT: Looking for dog that bit a child

| Delridge | West Seattle news

Nicole is hoping you can help find a dog that bit a 5-year-old girl in North Delridge. She reports it happened around 3:15 Monday afternoon near the Shell gas station north of Delridge/Findlay, as the child was walking with her mom:

The dog’s owner didn’t have it on leash and it ran straight for the little girl. She fled toward the gas pumps to try to escape but it caught up with her and bit her on the face and ear. The owner retrieved the dog and took off. The little girl had wounds serious enough to require a hospital trip. Per animal control, the dog and owner have not been located. The dog was described as “maybe a large black Labrador type.” No official description of the owner. If a neighbor thinks they know the location of the dog’s owner, they should contact animal control at 206-386-7387.

Ant March 2, 2021 (3:05 pm)

Hoping the gas station has surveillance footage.

WS Teacher March 2, 2021 (3:26 pm)

I don’t care how well you think your dog is trained, keep your dog on a leash!

Jim P. March 2, 2021 (3:56 pm)

Wow, that is scary.Best thing to do in general, as I understand it is to try to teach children NOT to run from a dog as that activates the dogs prey/chase/attack instincts if they are hostile.Sounds like the owner of the dog is a real upstanding soul, a credit to humanity.

Neighbor March 2, 2021 (7:40 pm)

Hey Jim! The girl is 5 years old. I repeat 5 years old. When is victim blaming ever acceptable. The dog should have been on a leash, the owner is not an upstanding citizen. You are incredibly insensitive.
- West Seattle Mad Sci Guy March 2, 2021 (8:55 pm)
  
  I didn’t sense any blame in his post. It sounds to me more like a suggestion on what other parents can talk to their young children about to help prevent this in the future. It isn’t about blame. It is just another thing one can do to protect themselves from bad actors.
- BW March 2, 2021 (9:10 pm)
  
  I’m pretty sure he was being sarcastic about the owner sounding like an upstanding citizen. Also, I’m willing to wager the advice about teaching kids to not run from dogs was more of a general statement and not an attack. Perhaps take a deep breath before replying to comments.

MS March 2, 2021 (4:21 pm)

I am so sorry to hear this I hope your daughter is ok and whom ever that person is STEP UP and take responsibility and if you know who this person is maybe you STEP UP….again so sorry that your daughter and yourself have to go thru this.

flimflam March 2, 2021 (4:24 pm)

wow. that dog owner is a coward and will hopefully face justice. hope the child will recover and not have lifelong trauma.

Seek_Peace March 2, 2021 (5:37 pm)

I live in the area where the Dog bit the child. I have a notion where the dog might be. I find it interesting that the number listed does not have a “leave a message” option after hours.I appreciate the world of government is coming apart due to a virus, and I appreciate that “our options have recently changed so please listen carefully before making a selection” is Vitally important. I did listen carefully, really I did. Three times.

It takes the importance out of my calling and suggesting I know the where the dog lives, when I can not contact the Government entity tasked with resolving an animal related issue. I can’t even leave a message.

If the government does not take calls seriously, how serious should any of us be about reporting such a situation?

newnative March 2, 2021 (8:39 pm)

What about the SPD? it was a crime after all.
- WSB March 2, 2021 (8:43 pm)
  
  They responded, Nicole says. However, regarding looking for the dog, that’s an animal-control issue.
Auntie March 2, 2021 (10:13 pm)

Please do not give up due to inane recorded messages. Please try again to call them tomorrow during business hours! Any information you have is important.

Blbl March 2, 2021 (5:59 pm)

Yeah…teach the girl. 🤦‍♀️

Zipda March 2, 2021 (6:31 pm)

Or teach the dog?

Mel March 3, 2021 (12:04 pm)

Or teach the owner.

SMC Section 18.12.080 March 2, 2021 (6:34 pm)

wouldn’t have happened if the dog was on a leash. that’s why leash laws exists.

Junction Lady March 2, 2021 (6:57 pm)

What a traumatic experience for the girl and her mother. I hope her wounds heal without any problems. Take care of each other.

bolo March 2, 2021 (9:02 pm)

Rabies is fatal.

Alki_mom March 3, 2021 (2:01 am)

This dog sounds familiar and I too think I may know what dog this is as I used to work at this gas station. Ugh. Dog was a sweet boy but the owner tends to let others walk the dog regularly if this is the same dog I am thinking of and this isn’t his first incident biting a child either so I’m sure I know who the owner is and he was already taken by animal control once before for attacking a small child at a bus stop a few years back.

Jennie March 3, 2021 (7:18 am)

Our dog was bit and almost killed by an off leash dog. Here is who we worked with at Animal Control who were very helpful. They are very overloaded with cases but they will work through it until the end. Just keep getting in touch with them for updates. Keeps yours on the top of their pile.Also, people are very habitual. They told me to go back to the spot where it happened around the same time each day to try and find the owner walking the dog. It worked!Christopher.StClair@seattle.gov (Officer)Don.Baxter@seattle.gov (Manager Field Services)

T Rex March 3, 2021 (8:49 am)

Now because of his stupid human, this dog will probably be put down. I had a dog that never liked small children, no reason why, she just did not like them. She was always on a leash unless she was in my home or in her yard. I had locks on all my doors on the fence so no kid could ever enter. This owner should be ashamed and fined and never be allowed to have another pet. Ever.

Hope for all March 3, 2021 (10:25 am)

I hope the child and mother are recovering from this scary event. And I also hope the dog, and it’s owner/friend receive the help they need, to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Sorry, comment time is over.