Vets Fear Dog's Cremation Compromises Case
Dr. Ivy Engstrom, the veterinarian at the clinic first sedated and eventually euthanized the dog after 80 percent of its skin burned off from the acid.
But now, Engstrom and other workers at the clinic believe the animal abuse investigation is being bungled.
"It brought everyone in here to tears," says Chris Tolman, a veterinarian assistant. "We still have nightmares. It was that bad and we see a lot in here."
The medial workers at the clinic believe the dog was deliberately dipped in acid. It was found by the Good Samaritan in a fenced in backyard in Federal Way - a yard that didn't belong to the dog's owner. The dog's owner told police he didn't know it was missing.
"If this was an accident, a rational person would have rushed that animal in to give it some attention. This dog was taken and thrown into somebody else's back yard," says Engstrom.
Engstrom says they've had trouble with investigators ever since they handed over the dog's body to animal control for the investigation.
"We've had trouble getting the local police to take it seriously," says Engstrom. "Not only is this a severe animal abuse case, what risk is it to the kids and people in that same area."
Engstrom and Tolman believe King County Animal Control has compromised the case because the dog's remains were cremated before the equivalent of an autopsy was done to determine what kind of acid maimed the dog.
"I'm so angry. Everyone seems to be dropping the ball. There goes the evidence," says Tolman.
For its part, the Assistant Manager for King County Animal Control Al Dams says photographs and accounts of people who came in contact with the dog are enough evidence.
"For safety control and disease interests, we had the body cremated," Dams said. "We don't need the body to show there was pain and suffering on the animal, that's obvious."
But Dams admits, the forensic equivalent to an autopsy was not done before the cremation. He says what's need is an eyewitness to come forward or for the abuser to confess.
"Unlike a human, a dog can't point the finger and say 'he did it'. That's why it takes an eyewitness to the abuse to lead to an arrest," says Dams.
"People are assuming that someone intentionally did this to the dog, there's always a possibility that it could have been an accident. You know. We can't assume until we have someone tell us otherwise," says Dams.
Pasado's Safe Haven is offering a reward of $10,000 for information leading to an arrest.