Owners Won’t Get Bill For Rescue Of Disobedient Dog

The owners of the dog that jumped over a retaining wall Sunday along the Spokane River won’t have to pay for their pet’s rescue.

The rescue of Tim and Lisa Devaney’s dog, Bailey, cost local authorities more than $600.

The couple also probably will not be fined $66 for violating a city ordinance by not having their dog on a leash, said Gail Mackie, the executive director of SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.

“I’d say these people probably learned a tough lesson,” she said. “Things happen. You’ve just got to keep them on a leash.”

The Devaneys called to Bailey, their yellow-Labrador, Australian-shepherd mix, Sunday afternoon as they walked northeast of the Monroe Street Bridge.

Tim Devaney commanded the dog to sit. Instead the dog jumped over the retaining wall and tumbled about 60 feet, then landed on a narrow, rocky bank, barely missing the river.

As hundreds of onlookers lined the bridge and the river’s south side, Spokane firefighters worked for more than 2-1/2 hours to rescue the dog.

A fire department boat and city-county dive team waited downstream in case the river swept away rescuers or the dog.

Costs to the fire department were for a $300 rope used in the dog rescue and $150 for a battalion chief brought in during that time, Spokane Fire Chief Bobby Williams said.

The dive team is composed of volunteers but the two marine deputies leading the crew cost the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department $170, Deputy Tom Mattern said.

Authorities also would rather rescue animals themselves than let untrained people do it, Mattern said.

“What would happen if they were injured?” he said.