West Seattle, Washington
25 Wednesday
Two notes this morning – one a crime, one something else that police handled overnight. First, from Chessa:
Our car was stolen in front of our house in Seaview (45th AVE between Juneau and Findlay) sometime between 10 pm and 6 am last night. It is a 1995 light brown (mocha?) Subaru Legacy wagon, license plate 704 YBN, WA plates. There’s a 2008 Obama-Biden on the left upper rear window corner, with some rust spots on the roof. We did, of course, file a police report. If any of your readers see it, we’d love to know!
Police ask that you call 911 if you spot a stolen car. Second note is not about a crime, but its appearance on SPD’s “Tweets by Beat” feed led one alarmed WSB’er to ask about it. Here’s the tweet:
Beat:W1, ANIMALS – INJURED, DEAD, DANGEROUS at W SEATTLE BR / DELRIDGE WY SW reported on 11/7/2012 5:42 AM
— SeattlePD William1 (@SeattlePDW1) November 7, 2012
This actually involved a case of police rescuing a lost dog, according to e-mail we received overnight from the dog’s owner, Betsy, who said her Siberian Husky broke out very early this morning but is home now:
Apparently she had made it from our house near Mount St. Vincent all the way to the high rise of the West Seattle Bridge. We are SO thankful for the Seattle police and a dog savvy citizen who was able to corral and catch her. We got a call from Officer Graham at about 5:30am while we were out combing the streets. He and his partner said they were both dog lovers and we are very, very thankful for everyone’s help. She immediately went to sleep when she got home.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:44 PM: If you only check the main page here at WSB, you might not be aware that one of our “inside pages” has over the past few years become an online bulletin board for lost/found West Seattle pets (so if you find or lose one, please e-mail us!). There are many reunions – but the latest one is home-page news too.
While most lost/found dog reports are resolved relatively quickly, every so often it takes a while. Take the case of Jessie – who after 11 days has just been found and reunited with her person. You might have seen the flyers with Jessie’s photo all over West Seattle (we noticed one in The Junction just a few hours ago); numerous people have helped search for her – the comment thread on the original “lost” posting tells part of the story.
She ran off after a firecracker spooked her on October 20th; it was warned that she is very skittish, so don’t go after her, just call with the sighting. The sightings were reported from Admiral to Delridge and beyond … then she was finally found this afternoon in Gatewood/Upper Fauntleroy by Brooke, who hadn’t seen the listing but did see a dog on the run and spent an hour trying to get her! Once she did, she called us and asked how to report a found pet; we asked her to send in the info and a photo – and then realized the dog looked like Jessie, so we made sure Brooke saw Jessie’s photo, and that Jessie’s person knew about Brooke’s discovery. Turns out it IS Jessie, and she’s now back home. Thanks to everyone who takes the time out to watch for and/or take care of lost pets.
10:10 PM UPDATE: Here’s a photo of Jessie with her owner Ann at left, finder Brooke at right:
The photo is courtesy of Brooke’s mom Gwen. She explains that Brooke works at Giannoni’s Pizza in Westwood Village, and had to go to work before Ann arrived to pick up Jessie – so they went over to Westwood to meet Brooke.
That’s photographer David Walega coaxing Evander Holyfield the boxer/mastiff to pose under the portrait tent at West Seattle Nursery this afternoon. Till 4 pm, you can take your dog to see David there – it’s a benefit for Art For Animals’ Sake, as explained in the WSB Forums. P.S. If you don’t see this till later and therefore missed it, David tells us he’ll be doing pet portraits again December 1-2 at Mind Unwind in The Admiral District, also for AFAS – more details on the MU calendar.
Last weekend, we reported on a North Delridge case involving a woman bitten in the face by a neighborhood dog – injured so badly, she had to go to the hospital. The Seattle Animal Shelter had not cited the dog’s owner at the time, pending more investigation; we just talked again with SAS’s enforcement supervisor Ann Graves, who says they determined the animal met the criteria to be deemed a “dangerous dog” and cannot be allowed to stay in city limits. She says her agent just went out this morning to check back, and verified with the owner that the dog is no longer in the residence or in the city. If it comes back, Graves says, the owner will be charged with a criminal misdemeanor (here’s the full text of the city law) – so if neighbors see it back in the neighborhood, they should report it. (She added that the 10-day in-house quarantine of the dog, to check for rabies, “ended without incident.”)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
A North Delridge woman is recovering from being bitten in the face by a dog in her neighborhood near Cottage Grove Park that sent her to the hospital and left neighbors concerned about whether Seattle Animal Shelter investigators are doing enough about it.
We’ve been gathering information about this incident since hearing about it from a neighbor, who said the attack happened Monday night, and that the dog, which she described as a pit bull, was on a leash with its owner. She was upset that the SAS officer talked with the owner “and then left without taking the dog.”
We have spoken twice since then with SAS representatives, who tell us there is no rule that they immediately seize an animal that bites a person. The first officer with whom we spoke said usually those types of attacks result in a citation, but he did not know if a citation had been issued and said he would seek that information; we finally got an update Saturday from SAS enforcement supervisor Ann Graves, who said no citation had been issued but the investigation was continuing and she expected to receive the final report soon.
The victim, who does not want to be identified, talked with us by phone.
The official WSB mascots, both adopted from shelters as adults, are making a cameo tonight to point out that the Seattle Animal Shelter is bringing foster cats to Alki Community Center this Saturday (October 13), noon-3 pm. “If you have room in your home and your heart for an orphaned animal, this is a great opportunity to come and see some of the wonderful pets available from our foster-care parents,” says Don Jordan, Seattle Animal Shelter director, in the official news release. (We found our tortoiseshell at one of these adopt-a-thons, 10 years ago!) There of course are lots of great adoption opportunities in West Seattle year-round, but the city only comes by every so often. More fine print about the process, after the jump:
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
It’s an autumn tradition – Blessing of the Animals events/services around the feast day of the patron saint of animals, Saint Francis of Assisi. For the past several years, the lone outdoor public event in West Seattle has been offered by St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, in the adjacent West Seattle High School parking lot, WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams was there as St. John’s Rev. Greg Peters carried on the tradition:
(Added: August photo of the geese, courtesy of Myrtle)
10:22 AM: We’ve received two reports of this so far. First one was from Sig:
A man on a bike with his dog running loose at the south end of Lincoln Park at about 8:15 this morning allowed his dog to attack one of the beautiful white geese. The dog injured the goose on the land and took it out in the water all the way to the moored boats. No sign of the goose so hopefully he will show up. His partner is honking on the beach and very frightened. The man got on his bike as soon as he could get the dog to come back (still no leash in sight) and took off in a dark Subaru Outback with a bike rack on the back and top. Hopefully someone can watch for the injured goose and help him.
Second one came from a reader who didn’t want to be identified:
I just got back from a walk at Lincoln Park where some bozo’s dog – off leash – attacked the resident geese on the beach.
I arrived just after the event so my story comes second-hand from a Parks employee who witnessed this and told me what had happened.
Apparently the dog attacked the geese, leaving feathers all over the path, and then chased one of the birds through the water all the way to the ferry dock.
As I arrived the dog’s owner, who had walked south down the private part of the beach, about halfway to the ferry, coaxed the dog back to shore then high-tailed it out of the park on his mountain bike. (He was wearing a yellow and black biking shirt)
There were about 20 of us watching and looking for the goose. I continued my walk then returned to that area about 20 minutes later- but no goose..
I am sharing this because dogs are not allowed on public beaches (period) and there is no off-leash area in Lincoln Park yet I see dogs running free there almost every day. Each time I do I grumble to myself about it rather than confronting the owners. I know people love their dogs.
If you’re not familiar with the Lincoln Park/Fauntleroy area white geese – here’s a photo of one – they (or, perhaps, their relatives) have been on the beach there for years (we remember seeing them more than a decade ago). Their room to roam is curtailed right now, possibly forcing them further south, because of the Barton Pump Station Upgrade Project work that has taken over the pocket beach at Cove Park immediately north of the Fauntleroy ferry dock. We’ll be following up to see if we can find out what has happened since the search mentioned above; please let us know if you hear/see anything.
3:01 PM UPDATE: If you haven’t seen this in the comment thread yet: We checked with Parks, and they told us Animal Control was planning to visit the park to investigate – they had indeed received a call about this to dispatch earlier today. A commenter subsequently reported that both geese were found and seem to be OK, which was confirmed by a beach resident who has seen them.
ADDED: From Dewey Potter @ Parks: “One employee observed most of the incident, confronted the individual about his dog being off leash, and notified Seattle Animal Shelter. The Sr. Gardener who called me back said the description in the WS Blog of the dog owner is accurate. If anyone can provide a name, a license number, or other identifying information, SAS staff will talk with the dog owner and tell him what the penalties are for having a dog on the beach and for harassing wildlife.”
(WSB photo: Alki UCC’s Rev. Diane Darling at “Blessing of the Animals” service in 2009)
Early October means time for the Blessing of the Animals in honor of the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals, and the local congregations that have been offering this service in recent years are doing it again this Sunday.
INTERDENOMINATIONAL SERVICE AT ALKI UCC: This Sunday at 10 am, you’re invited to a “Blessing of the Animals” service. The church‘s announcement says, “This year Pastor Diane Darling, Rabbi Zari Weiss, and Rev. Ann Holmes Redding (Christian, Jew, and Episcopal/Muslim) will bless the animals you bring to worship. Dogs on leashes and critters in carriers, please! You also may want to bring a blanket or cushion to sit on.” 6115 SW Hinds.
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH: St. John’s says its interim priest Reverend Greg Peters “will be blessing animals at both worship services, 8:00 am and 10:15 am, and also at noon in the West Seattle High School Parking Lot,” which is at 3000 California SW, immediately north of the church.
2:58 PM: Elsie‘s owner says she is missing and believes she was stolen out of his yard this afternoon in the 2800 block of SW 102th (just east of Arbor Heights, in the county), though he did not see it happen, so he doesn’t have any suspect description to share. He describes Elsie as “an extremely loving pit bull of about 60 pounds, ‘fawn’ coat, and pink lips.” If you see her, you can call him at 206-661-7427 – he says that number is also on her collar, light green with pink flowers on it. We are also crossposting to the WSB Pets page.
9:16 PM: Elsie’s owner says she’s home: “She was in fact taken from my property by car, and after much searching and fretting, she was returned for a small ransom.”
(WSB photo from September 2011)
Got a dog that loves to swim? Here’s her/his big chance! From Cori:
It is that time again, Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis club is closed for the season but before we go, we are opening the pool to dogs this week.
M-F 5-7 pm and Sat 10 am-1 pm
$10 donation to cover the cost of removing dog hair from the filter system, money left over goes to support teams. Also available for $20/dog – a pass that is good for the week.
Dogs must be healthy, up to date on vaccinations and very well socialized. Owners are responsible for their pet. Do not bring more dogs than you can control. Thank you!
Might still be cloudy today by swim time, but the rest of the week looks summery. AHSTC is at 11003 31st SW.
That’s the Gilbert family with Evelyn, when she joined them March 6, 2011, as their first puppy with West Seattle See Dogs, which trains future guide dogs. Ruth Oldham of WSSD shares their story as the group welcomes new puppy-raisers – including news that Evelyn has graduated!
“There is nothing as fulfilling as meeting your now guide dog’s partner at graduation and learning what your gift of love for a puppy and time commitment means to them,” Ruth explains. Evelyn went to the Guide Dogs For The Blind’s campus in Boring, Oregon, back in May, “sped through her phases,” as Ruth describes it, and graduated on August 25th. In the photo, she says, Evelyn “guides her new partner, Allen Scarbrough, over a curb, demonstrating her prowess to her former raisers. She actually stopped with one paw on the curb, and waited for Allen to respond. Allen can feel the raised paw through the harness.” Want to join the group making moments like that – and lifetimes beyond it – happen?
Ruth says, “You too can be part of this experience. West Seattle See Dogs is actively looking for new raisers to become part of our team. Our volunteers are all working toward improving the quality of life for people who are blind. Come to our meeting on Tuesday, September 11th, at 6:30 pm at The Kenney and learn what’s involved…….we need you!”
For some reason, today feels like Friday. (Are you taking a four-day weekend? Maybe we’re feeling it by online osmosis.) So before the next news story, two photos. Top, Barb Joseph shares the scene from “a perfect summer afternoon on Alki.” (We dubbed it “SUP and pup.”) Next, from David and Christine: “11-year-old Marissa took this amazing fun photo of 7 month old Laddie, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever!”
More on the NSDTR here.
Thanks to Mark for the photo and a heartening tale (tail?) from the West Seattle Bridge this morning: Somehow a dog turned up on the westbound bridge around 9 am. Both directions stopped, Mark says; he and others on the EB side watched as people on the WB side “chased the little thing all around the bridge deck and finally corralled it, to some applause.”
ADDED: Even if you don’t usually read comments, make an exception here – as Laura, who was involved in the rescue, tells the story of saving little runaway Bell.
When we stopped by West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) just after 1 pm to check in on the CityDog Magazine Cover Dog Search photo shoot, we found out that 36 dogs were already signed up, just after hour 1. Dogs of every size, as you can see in the photo above … and we even spotted a dog in a tie:
That’s Willie, dressed to the nines. Or at least the eights. At the CityDog table, Carol from Doney Memorial Pet Clinic – beneficiary of today’s $10 photo fees – and West Seattle-based CityDog founder Brandie Ahlgren:
Carol told us this is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for Doney, run by volunteers and supported by donations; the clinic takes care of pets for people in need who otherwise might not be able to afford that care. (She says she also gets big help in our area from White Center’s Puppy Perfectors.) Meantime, the photos are on till 3 pm – just head to Thriftway (California/Fauntleroy) if you see this before then. We’ll find out later this year if another West Seattle dog will grace the CDM cover next winter!
Two quick previews for Sunday – both special events at local grocery stores – from the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar:
BICYCLE DONATIONS: Have a bicycle and/or bicycle parts you don’t need? PCC Natural Markets-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) is collecting them on Sunday, 10 am-3 pm, for people in Togo. More info here.
CITYDOG MAGAZINE COVER-DOG SEARCH: West Seattle-founded CityDog Magazine is once again looking for a cover dog via a series of photo shoots around Seattle, and Sunday is the annual visit to West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), noon-3 pm. $10 fee goes to the Doney Memorial Pet Clinic.
With four days left, you can still bring dog or cat food to Alki Mail and Dispatch for their July pet-food drive. The staff tells WSB they’ve collected more than 150 pounds of pet food so far (some of it is shown above in the photo they shared), but are hoping for more. As we mentioned at the beginning of the drive, they are accepting dry or canned food and treats. All cat food will go to Kitty Harbor and all dog food to Dogs Deserve Better, an organization raising awareness for dogs who live chained or tethered outdoors.
The drive goes through Tuesday (July 31st). Check Alki Mail’s hours and location here. And by the way, they’re already thinking about doing it again next year!
FIRST REPORT, 6:24 PM: Just got this from the victims’ neighbor:
My friend just asked me to e-mail about a possible (burglary) and stolen dog. It happened this afternoon (in the 4100 block of) 22nd Ave, a window was smashed and the dog, a 2 year old male English Setter named Holt, is missing and was likely stolen by the thieves. If you have any information or have seen this dog in the neighborhood please call, its owners are heartbroken.
206-390-5298. The friend is trying to find a photo – we’ll add if she sends one.
ADDED 7:25 PM: The story is now topped with a photo of Holt.
12:12 AM UPDATE: In the comment section, Holt’s owners say he has found his way home.
Starting today, at West Seattle Summer Fest, West Seattle-based animal-advocacy group Furry Faces Foundation will launch a new campaign called “Tag Your Pet…It Ain’t Graffiti!” to raise awareness about the importance of pet tags, providing tags for $5 to $8 each.
In their announcement, Furry Faces says pet tags are the #1 way lost pets are reunited with their owners. For pets without tags, however, Furry Faces says the statistics are bleak. And even though 80 percent of pet owners believe it is important for their pets to wear ID, only thirty-three percent of them have their animals tagged. So thanks to the donation of a new pet-tag engraver, Furry Faces hopes to improve these numbers. Through their new program, they will engrave and sell pet tags and collars to owners on the spot, with funds from the sales going to provide tags for financially-restricted pet owners. Interested? Then stop by one of their upcoming events – list ahead:Read More
Yesterday pirates, today … a lizard on a leash, photographed on Alki by Chas Redmond, who reports that it’s a black-throated monitor named Hades.
You’ve often heard about the importance of donating to local food banks – West Seattle FB and White Center FB. We don’t hear as often about the need for pet-food donations, but that need is great too – so Alki Mail and Dispatch plans to collect it throughout July, according to Bree, starting tomorrow:
We will be collecting dry and canned food (and treats too!) with cat food going to Kitty Harbor and dog food going to an organization called Dogs Deserve Better. They are a wonderful organization working to raise the awareness of the plight of chained and tethered dogs that are forced to live outdoors. We will be collecting here in the shop (we are at 4701 SW Admiral Way) for the whole month of July and we want to see everyone bring something in!
Question? You can reach Bree at staff@alkimail.com. Alki Mail’s hours are listed here.
You have another hour to get over to Admiral’s Umpqua Bank (WSB sponsor) branch to see if Arnold (above) and Brinkley (below) have found forever homes yet.
They are two of the dogs Saving Great Animals brought to today’s adopt-a-thon, continuing at Umpqua till about 1:30 pm. The branch is on California SW immediately north of Admiral Safeway.
If you follow the WSB Facebook page and/or the Seattle Police Department Facebook page, you’ve probably seen the photo of those 2 Bichon Frises already today, but in case you don’t, we’re sharing it here too. SPD put it on FB in honor of Take Your Dog To Work Day; we shared it on the WSB FB page, without having any clue at the time that the dogs – as we were informed a while later – are West Seattleites! We’ve also heard the photo was shown on NBC’s Today show this morning and is expected to reappear in an NBC News Take Your Dog To Work Day photo feature.
| 1 COMMENT