Recently fliers were posted at Magnuson Off-Leash Dog Park alleging that two dogs were attacked by three pit bull type dogs on Friday, September 25th, 2009. One dog, a Boxer, was said to have been killed while the other dog was severely injured. Through speaking with direct sources, FABB has been able to determine the following:

• No report of the incident has been filed with Seattle Animal Control.

• No report has been filed with King County Animal Care and Control or with the Seattle Police Department. If anyone attempted to file a report with either of these two entities, they would have been directed to Seattle Animal Control.

• No eyewitnesses have come forward who can verify that such an attack occurred or who witnessed an individual leaving the park with a fatally wounded or deceased dog.

• Multiple individuals who were at the park at the time of the alleged attack reported that they did not see or hear anything out of the ordinary.

• The owner allegedly brought the Boxer to a vet clinic immediately after the attack. Some clinics were specifically mentioned, yet, these clinics have no records of an injured or fatally wounded Boxer around September 25th.

• No known body of the fatally wounded boxer.

As of October 19th, 2009, there have been no reports filed from an owner, witness, vet or police and no witnesses of an attack or a dead dog. Multiple people at the park during the supposed incident did not see anything; there have been no vet reports of a dead Boxer and no record of a carcass. A person carrying a dead or severely injured Boxer along with another injured dog out of the park would be difficult to miss. At this time, FABB has no choice but to believe that this has all been a cruel hoax.

FABB strongly encourages people to realize the damage caused by falsifying an incident or creating an uproar over an incident that has no proof to back it up. Now well behaved, leashed pit bulls are being attacked and men who remotely fit the description of the owner are being harassed by people who are afraid. If an attack had occurred, reports should have been filed immediately by the owner and anyone who witnessed it. When a dog is attacked by another dog, the filing of a report and the witness statements are crucial to the investigation. If a Boxer really was attacked and killed at Magnuson Off Leash Park, FABB respectfully requests that the owner, the vet or any witnesses file a formal report with Seattle Animal Control.

FABB would also like to remind dog owners that part of that ownership is being responsible. Every owner is responsible for his or her dog’s behavior and safety. This includes training and socialization, especially when utilizing dog parks. If any dog is acting inappropriately in a dog park, it should be removed from the park before something happens. Should the dog’s inappropraite behavior lead to a fight or attack on either a dog or a person before being removed, the victim(s) and witnesses are responsible for ensuring that a report is filed.

Families Against Breed Bans is a Seattle based group that recognizes the need for encouraging responsibility in dog owners rather than banning certain breeds. Any dog has the potential to bite and to cause damage and/or death. FABB knows that the only way to keep people and their family pets safe is to punish the irresponsible owners, regardless of the breed of dog that they own. For more information, please visit www.fabbseattle.org. FABB can be reached at fabbseattle@gmail.com.