Unmuzzled, Unleashed ‘Bear’ Brings Owner $250 Fine

A notorious Spokane Valley pet has once again landed his owner in court.

Robert D. Christiansen, who lives at 6718 E. 11th, was fined $250 last week for allowing his Bear to wander loose without a muzzle and leash. “Bear” is actually a full-grown akita/mastiff mix. County officials deemed the dog “dangerous” last year.

Christiansen’s neighbors have been complaining about Bear since 1993. The animal has a history of attacking neighborhood pets, according to animal control officers. Some neighbors worry it might hurt a child.

The dog received the “dangerous” designation last July after it injured a Scottish terrier. Christiansen appealed the decision to county commissioners. He lost the appeal in September.

To maintain ownership and avoid fines, Christiansen had to agree to meet several stringent and expensive requirements. A “dangerous” dog must be kept indoors, or in a pen that meets strict requirements. It must be muzzled and on a leash whenever it’s outside the home or pen. Its owner must post a “dangerous dog” sign on his home, and buy $50,000 in liability insurance in case of a bite or injury.

Unfortunately, neighbor Maureen Farrington said, Christiansen began breaking these rules after only two months.

In November, Farrington saw Bear outside without a muzzle. In March, she and another neighbor found the 100-pound dog walking around in his front yard, without a leash or muzzle. Neither Christiansen nor his wife was home at the time, she said.

Farrington reported the violations.

“The dog scares me,” she said. “He likes to eat other animals. I have a little Lhasa apso I take in my front yard. He’d have her for breakfast.”

Christiansen pleaded guilty to both violations last week. Besides the $250 fine, he received a suspended 365-day jail sentence. If he is found guilty of any additional dangerous dog violations in the next 12 months, he could be sent to jail or face additional fines, county prosecutor Gerald Gesinger said.

Christiansen declined to be interviewed for this story. In the past, he has blamed bad blood between neighbors - not Bear - for the many complaints. Those complaints, he said, have often been unfounded.

Complaints about Bear roaming the neighborhood and attacking other animals led to several citations in 1994, and an order by District Court Judge John Madden that Christiansen not keep any dogs for two years.

Christiansen sent Bear to live with friends during those two years.

The most recent complaints came from Farrington only. Other neighbors, she said, either don’t want to get involved or are afraid to cross Christiansen.

Farrington said she’s afraid too - of Bear getting loose again.

“It’s like putting a gun out there that’s loaded,” she said. “They’ve already said he has the potential to kill.”