Dangerous dog declaration overturned following appeal

An animal shelter’s dangerous dog declaration was overturned Monday after a Labrador mix’s owner appealed Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service’s declaration.

Michael Dempsey, the Spokane County hearings officer, determined that a person bitten by the dog, Little Bear, willfully trespassed on the dog owner’s property.

On Sept. 29, a man went into the yard at 1311 S. Havana St. where Little Bear was tethered to a chain on a cable to retrieve his female dog, according to hearing documents. The yard was not fenced. The man was charged by Little Bear after he began calling his dog. He turned to leave and was bit by Little Bear on his upper arm and buttocks.

The man, who is an emergency medical technician, treated his own wounds.

Little Bear’s owner, Scott Timpe, was initially uncooperative about allowing the animal shelter to take his dog into custody. But he eventually released Little Bear. Timpe was served with the dangerous dog declaration later that day.

SCRAPS director Nancy Hill felt the dangerous dog declaration was appropriate because Little Bear had previously been declared potentially dangerous. He bit a man who lived next door to Timpe after escaping on Aug. 2.

Furthermore, according to the county code for a potentially dangerous dog, Little Bear was not supposed to be chained in the back yard while unattended. Timpe said he wasn’t clear on the restrictions with the potentially dangerous dog declaration, according to hearing documents.

Despite the violation, Dempsey decided the dangerous dog declaration for Little Bear should be reversed.