Owner’s dogs killed pet wallabies, investigation concludes

A veterinarian’s report shows that three wallabies killed in their northeast Spokane yard in mid-December were mauled and partially eaten by their owner’s two dogs.

The owner of the animals called police because she believed a person was responsible for the deaths, but an investigation by the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service determined her dogs were the attackers. Both animals – a mastiff named Mischief and a pit bull/dalmation mix named Diesel – have been declared potentially dangerous.

The marsupials were covered in canine bite marks and two died of asphyxiation due to “crushing holds” to their necks, according to the SCRAPS report. The third was decapitated and disemboweled. There was no evidence of bruising from blows or of knife wounds, the report said.

The animal control officer who responded to the home noted that the wallaby enclosure in the backyard was full of dog paw prints in the snow but relatively few human footprints. The latch on their enclosure was not closing properly because of ice buildup, the officer reported.

An examination of the two dogs showed that the pit bull had “high-fat rare meat content” and bone pieces in his stomach, SCRAPS director Nancy Hill said. The dog also appeared to have severe indigestion and scratches on his body. The mastiff had less animal material in his stomach and no visible wounds, Hill said.

“The evidence points to her dogs,” Hill said.

The report indicates that the owner of the dogs and wallabies was not cooperative and initially refused to turn over her dogs for examination. She also did not report the attack until 12 hours after it occurred and after she had cleaned up the area, investigators said.

SCRAPS responded to the same home in March after receiving reports that the pit bull had attacked a Shih Tzu, Hill said. There were conflicting accounts of whether the Shih Tzu was in its own yard or the pit bull’s yard; the smaller dog needed veterinary care.

The mastiff and pit bull were unlicensed before the wallaby attack. Their owner has since licensed them along with a third dog, a rottweiler named Ralph. The owner told the SCRAPS officer that Ralph has had animal aggression issues and was crated inside the home at the time of the attack.

Since Diesel and Mischief have been declared potentially dangerous dogs, their owner must ensure the fence around the yard is strong enough to keep her dogs in and other dogs out.

“It’s a red warning flag on the dog’s file,” Hill said.

Any violation of the potentially dangerous dog ordinance, which would include letting a dog be “at large,” is a criminal misdemeanor, she said.