By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Lewis County leaders have changed the rules once and now they are prepared to do it again to avoid euthanizing a dog that was condemned under a set of strict procedures regarding animals that kill a domestic animal or severely injure a human.
Hank the pit bull terrier who remains impounded at the Lewis County Animal Shelter is at the center of a controversy in which his supporters say he was wrongly designated a dangerous dog after he was implicated with his mother in killing two goats last year in Winlock. He was just a puppy and his mother was the actual attacker, they say.
Tank, now Hank
Under Lewis County code, there was no option other than death for the canine, once his original owner decided she couldn’t meet the county demands including an escape-proof enclosure and a $500,000 bond. However, unbeknownst to most county officials, the dog was spirited out of the shelter because “there was a feeling it wasn’t really dangerous.”
His name was changed from Tank to Hank and the 2-year-old was adopted to a Centralia family unaware of his background. Jann Propp-Estimo described the dog she met at the shelter in January as just wagging his tail with a stuffed toy in his mouth, the only dog there not barking. Shelter Manager Amy Hanson had written in a message trying to persuade a rescue group to take him, that he continued to be a polite sweet dog at all times.
Hank lived with Propp-Estimo and then her son and grandson until May, when the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office and the Board of (Lewis) County Commissioners learned what had occurred and he was impounded again.
Criminal charges were filed against Hanson and her boss, Danette York, but have been put on hold in a case that is being handled by the Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office.
Commissioners, working with Lewis County Civil Deputy Prosecutor David Fine, approved an amendment to the dangerous dog ordinance that allowed Propp-Estimo to ask a Lewis County District Court judge to erase the label of dangerous, through allowing consideration of new evidence including present behavior. That effort failed in June, was appealed and has been upheld.
Now, county commissioners and Fine are contemplating another amendment which basically says, even if a dog meets the definition of a dangerous animal, Lewis County District Court has other options besides ordering the dog to be put down.
Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said today the proposed change is not because of any predicament the county finds itself in, having adopted the pet out to a family and then taking it back. Propp-Estimo and Bellingham animal lawyer Adam Karp have a case seeking relief in federal court.
“I think everyone agrees, no one wants to kill the dog,” Meyer said.
The code amendment would allow District Court other avenues, he said.
Board of (Lewis) County Commissioners Chair Gary Stamper said the idea is a more flexible code going forward. Times and attitudes towards pets have changed, he said.
“People had the idea we wanted the dog euthanized,” Stamper said. “That’s not the case.”
In early August, a dozen individuals stood outside the Historic Lewis County Courthouse, holding up “Honk for Hank” signs and showing their support. They brought commissioners signatures they said were from more than 148,000 people who wanted to save the pit bull terrier. Meyer today spoke of getting a phone call from someone in another state about Hank.
A public hearing on the proposed code changes will be held at 10 a.m. on Oct. 2 in the same building, where commissioners hold their meetings. People can share their opinions at that time, in person and also in writing.
Ordinance 1280 would amend Chapter 6.05, “Animals,” of the Lewis County code because, “the public interest is best served by permitting a District Court judge, in a limited circumstance, to permit a dangerous dog not to be euthanized.”
The greater discretion it would give a Lewis County District Court judge includes the judge may rule that an animal that harbors a potential to, or is even likely to harm people or domestic animals, can be released to a party to the action. The judge can order it to be housed and maintained under specified conditions subject to proof of compliance.
If adopted, it could be enacted immediately.
“We knew there were some errors, we tried to right the ship as quick as possible,” Stamper said.
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For background, read “Higher court agrees with Judge Buzzard’s order that dog should be euthanized” from Friday September 8, 2017, here
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