Vicious Malamute has attacked five times; authorities say their hands are tied - b/c it's only PETS that are mauled, not people

WASHINGTON -- When Curt Bush put the gut-wrenching surveillance video of his small dog being mauled by a bigger dog on Facebook — 36,000 people watched it in only two days.
 
 Now, he's hoping to use his Facebook momentum to convince lawmakers to make repeat dog on dog attacks a criminal offense.

 

In the video, the little Jack Russell terrier named “Tucker” is approached near its own front door and suddenly attacked by a neighbor’s 110-pound malamute. Veterinarians did not expect Tucker to survive his terrible injuries. After his dog beat the odds through numerous surgeries, Tucker’s owner faced staggering vet bills.


Bush also found out the malamute had been in trouble for the same thing before.
 
 The malamute’s owner had been previously ordered by Animal Control officers to contain the dog, after it attacked other dogs three times in King County, and once in Snohomish County. Despite the repeated attacks, the malamute’s owner never faced criminal charges.
 
“This dog has attacked my dog three times, it's attacked another dog in Snohomish County, and it attacked another dog in the neighborhood, so that's five times, and nothing happens to the guy,” said Bush.
 
 There was no criminal punishment, because according to state law books, Washington state does not have a specific law prosecuting dog owners when they attack other dogs.
 
 "If it was a human that did that to a dog, they'd be in jail, but because it’s a dog doing it to a dog, that's OK?” asked Bush.
 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 Prosecutors told us the dog's owner can only face civil penalties. The owner wouldn't respond to us, or King County animal control officers.
 
“He won't answer the door when anyone knocks on the door, he won't answer the cops when the cops went to his door, nothing,” said Nicayla Bush, Bush's daughter.
 
 KIRO-7 found out the owner tried to move the dog to Snohomish County--where animal control confiscated it, because it has attacked other dogs the same way there.
 
 Now, Curt Bush has received an outpouring of support on Facebook, and he hopes to convince lawmakers to enact “Tucker's Law--to put teeth into criminal prosecution for dogs who attack domesticated animals.

 “Something has to happen. There has to be a change in the law," he said.
 
 The owner of the malamute must agree to register it as a dangerous animal in Snohomish County --and cage it-- and he might get the dog back in 15 days.

(KIRO - Feb 5, 2015)

The actual video footage: