Brackett’s Landing dog bite update: Possible felony charges for dog owner

After reviewing the facts in the case, Edmonds police have prepared a report to the Snohomish County Prosecutor that could lead to class C felony charges being brought against the owner of a dog who bit a 6-year-old boy at Brackett’s Landing Aug. 19.

News coverage of the incident by My Edmonds News and others led to a tip that helped police identify the owner, a 40-year-old Edmonds man.

“We’ve been studying the facts in the case, and have determined that these might justify felony charges under RCW 16.08,” Sgt. Shane Hawley told My Edmonds News Friday.

The report was sent to the prosecutor late in the day Friday. The prosecutor will review the report next week, and based on this review will decide whether charges are justified, Hawley said.

— By Larry Vogel

 

My Edmonds News will continue to follow the story.

  1. The city needs to do a better job of making the public aware of the fact that dogs are not allowed on the beach at Bracketts Landing. I have seen people park by my house and unload the kids and the dog and head to the beach totally oblivious to the fact that dogs are not allowed. Everytime I see a dog down there I take a photo, and I have many. It was just a matter of time for this to happen and in time it will happen again.

    1. Touche, (I think)….. how much is this costing the city and taxpayer’s. Am I missing something or was this child targeted by the dog when animal woke up in the morning; and I would be hugging my child, get him stitched up and move on. Instead how about we just stone them both at the fountain downtown Edmonds.

      1. Nah. You’re right. Let’s just let the whole thing go. Because letting your dangerous pit bull run free on a public beach where signs are posted everywhere saying that’s illegal and then letting your dog bite a child on the face and then taking your dog and running away are no big deal.

  2. “No dogs allowed” signs are prominently posted at Brackett’s Landing and other Edmonds beaches. In some places it is even painted on the sidewalks. I don’t know what more the city can do except issue tickets to offending dog owners. I would think that after a week or two of intensive enforcement, word would get out among dog owners not to bring their dogs to the beach.

  3. We are at the beach every day and some days many times. We are well aware of the dogs on the beach and have noticed that when people come to the entry to the beach a lot of them are looking up at the water and view and not looking down on the ground at the entry where the signs are. As the signs are lying on the ground, they are often missed because people at that point are not looking down. Perhaps if some signs were standing up, they would not be missed so much at the entry to the beach..

    We believe that most of these people are not just wantonly breaking the law on purpose from what we see……they just dont notice the signs because they are not looking down when they first head onto the beach. They seem to not look down until they are actually on the beach……..which many times can be half way across the beach. Most people we have said something to did not know there were signs and are very apologetic in regards to their dogs.

    Maybe some signs that stand up so the signs wont be missed.

  4. Perhaps it is, in some cases, simple confusion. The beach dog park is well known in the area and associated with Edmonds. There is absolutely no signage directing folks to that particular area. None. I have run into folks who just thought the beaches here were “dog friendly”. Probably because of the beach dog park. It is odd to have only one area where the dogs can go off leash, and at low tide there is no separation at all and no signage directing folks with dogs to it. It is confusing to some, and that is giving it the benefit of the doubt to most.

  5. Doesn’t really seem that confusing that you shouldn’t have a dangerous dog running around off leash to bite a child in the face and then take your dog and run away to avoid responsibility.

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