Puppy Shooter is Fined, Confined: Lake Samish woman forbidden to have pets, guns
BELLINGHAM — A 74-year-old Lake Samish woman who shot a neighbor’s puppy pleaded guilty to animal cruelty Thursday morning.
Evelyn Wade was sentenced to 15 days of home detention for shooting Bandit, a 6-month-old golden retriever puppy belonging to the Hassi family, on Sept. 14. The puppy had gotten loose and wandered into Wade’s yard, where he knocked over a bird feeder. Bandit was critically injured and had to be euthanized.
As part of the guilty plea, Wade also must pay $950 for the family’s veterinary bills and approximately $800 worth of court fees. Wade is also barred from possessing firearms or owning pets and must comply with the findings of a dementia evaluation, chief criminal deputy prosecutor Mac Setter said.
Wade also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in Whatcom County District Court for discharging a firearm in the direction of neighbors during the incident.
At the hearing, Wade apologized to the Hassi family, saying she acted on impulse and regrets what she did.
Vicki Hassi, whose son Ethan, 11, owned the dog, said the family bought Ethan a 12-week-old golden retriever for Christmas. Hassi said they are glad to move on after the incident, though they doubt Wade’s sincerity.
"If it would have been from her heart she would have looked at Ethan," she said. "But we have a new dog and a son that eventually, hopefully won’t remember this as much."
The family has put chicken wire at the bottom of their fence and is more careful about letting their dogs out now, Hassi said.
Article from the Bellingham Herald
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