TACOMA, Wash. — A dog was attacked and killed by another dog in the care of the Humane Society for Tacoma Pierce County (HSTPC) at an event over the weekend.
On May 3, just before 10:30 a.m., Tacoma police responded to Yacht Club Road at Dune Peninsula for a dog attack. The area was at the finish line for the Tacoma City Marathon, which was happening that day.
According to police, one dog attacked another one, which resulted in that dog’s death.
The dog that caused the deadly attack was there with the Humane Society of Tacoma & Pierce County.
“Yesterday, a tragic incident occurred at the Tacoma City Marathon involving a dog in our care that resulted in the loss of a community member’s dog. We are so deeply sorry for the harm this caused and the pain felt by those affected,” Tacoma Humane wrote in a statement online.
The shelter said it takes full responsibility for “understanding how this happened” and for “addressing any deficiencies” in their processes or oversight.
“As a direct result of this incident, we are conducting a full review of our event protocols, including how dogs are selected and managed at off-site events,” the shelter wrote in its statement.
Paul Baek told KIRO 7 he had just finished running his race when he went to meet up with his wife and his ten-year-old dog Brownie. They started walking when Baek heard his wife scream behind him. When he turned around, he says he saw a large dog biting Brownie and shaking him around.
He ran to help, but it was too late.
“First couple of days, we could not eat,” he said. “We could not sleep properly. We could not do anything.”
Alexis Drugge, who was there for the attack, told KIRO 7 that a small lap dog was attacked by a larger dog, and that the attack happened “pretty quickly.”
“When the attack happened, naturally everyone gravitated towards the victim, you know, making sure that he’s okay, kind of huddling around his dog. He was instantly grieving his dog, and I was kind of looking around trying to find where the attacker dog was,” Drugge said.
Drugge said she saw a Tacoma Humane volunteer standing there, holding the leash of the dog, looking lost and traumatized.
She said she and her fiancé helped the volunteer and the dog get back to the car to diffuse the situation.
“She was just absolutely heartbroken and traumatized,” Drugge said.
Drugge went back to the Humane Society with the volunteer to file an incident witness report.
She said she was told by the shelter that the dog was surrendered two days prior to the incident and was up for adoption, and had an “adopt me” vest at the event.
“I think the number one thing that I’m wanting to get out there is that this incident was 100% preventable, and it was 100% at the fault of the Tacoma Humane Society. They did not do their job,” Drugge said.
KIRO 7 has reached out to the shelter to confirm that account, but they said they are still investigating the matter and their protocols, so they can’t share additional information at this time.
Based on guidance and regulations from Tacoma Animal Control, HSTPC said the dog involved in the incident was humanely euthanized.
Baek said he hopes the shelter reviews its protocols to prevent this from happening again.
He is grateful for the kindness of the community, which he says has helped him and his wife move forward.
“Brownie actually was a great teacher,” he said, adding that the dog taught there family to “love each other more” and “hug each other more.”
“He make us happy all the time,” Baek said.
Humane Society of Tacoma & Pierce County was the beneficiary of the event. The event proceeds would go to the organization.
According to Tacoma City Marathon Association’s website, under their FAQ section, “Due to liability and insurance reasons, four-legged friends aren’t allowed to run our events.”
KIRO 7 has reached out to the Tacoma City Marathon Association for clarification on whether dogs are allowed to attend events. They confirmed that dogs are not allowed to participate in events.
In an email, Tacoma City Marathon told KIRO 7:
“We’re heartbroken by this news and can only imagine the grief the family is experiencing. We’re taking time to carefully evaluate our relationship with the Humane Society moving forward.
Our team members are pet owners ourselves and care deeply about animal welfare—we want nothing but the best for them. This is truly tragic, and our deepest condolences go out to the family."
KIRO 7 is working to learn more about what led up to the incident.
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