Around 9:30 p.m. last Tuesday, Seattle police responded to a scene in the Lake City neighborhood, where two men were “assaulting a female in an effort to take her dog away,” according to a police report. The woman told officers that she was walking with her dog at NE 125th Street and Lake City Way when “two unknown males came up to her.”

“When she refused to give up her dog, one of the suspects began physically restraining her,” the report says. The man put her in a headlock while his accomplice attempted to yank the dog’s leash out of her hand.

A witness reported seeing “that the dog was being choked by the suspect as he attempted to pull the leash away from the victim,” the report says.

Both assailants were arrested and booked for assault, attempted theft, and animal abuse, the report says. There was also no mention as to why these two suspects tried to steal the dog (the breed wasn’t named in the report). The report concludes that the one of the men in custody “admitted to trying to take her dog but stated he never hit” the victim.

12 replies on “Attempted Dognapping in Lake City”

  2. Most dognapping is for sweet, docile dogs, such as black labs, toys dogs, etc. The thieves use them as bait to train pit bulls to fight, and throw them in the garbage after the pits kill these sweet pets.

    I’ve heard they steal dogs out of people’s backyards but this is the first I’ve heard of taking one from a woman’s hands. People, keep an eye on your dogs. I can’t imagine how sick I’d feel knowing my sweet dog was tied up and used for bait.

  4. What kind of useless dog just stands around while its owner is being attacked? My father-in-law has a sweet, gentle, old black Lab…who recently CHARGED A BEAR that had come onto their property and was getting close to my FIL. Chased it off, too. Now that’s a good dog.

  6. @3 Trolling? How on earth so? My “sources” are that my friend tragically had his lab stolen from his Cap Hill/CD yard for this reason, and my vet has confirmed that this is a problem in Seattle and I’ve read newspaper articles about it happening in other cities.

    I’m certainly not trying to make anyone angry, but just warning dog owners to be on the alert and be aware that dog theft is a reality and a possibility in Seattle. I’m sorry my words upset you so much!

  7. @4,

    If the dognapping attempt was for money, then it’s likely the dog is a very expensive purse dog. Would you be afraid of a snarling chihuahua?

  8. I just searched google news for dognapping & NONE of the stories are about using stolen dogs in dog fights. That’s bullshit and a stupid fucking scare tactic pinned on to the Stranger’s pit bull-hating agenda.

  11. Thank you # 3..well stated.

    As someone who spends WAY too much time researching pit bulls, animal abuse, dog fighting, etc… It seems that the most common bait dogs tend to be pitties themselves. The fighters bulk up some dogs with hormone injections, weight gainer fuel and heavy chains on the neck. They torture them…feed them gunpowder, etc until they fight.
    These same fighters tend to have other dogs (often pitties as a well) who have the least fight potential, no added regimen and use them as bait dogs..It is twisted and sick,
    and SO F-ed up.
    Scary that this dog was almost nabbed..Glad I carry mace:)

  12. I bet the dog in question was a pit bull, and some self-important jackasses decided they needed to do their part to protect the people of this city from so vile a perceived threat.

    I mean, perhaps the assailants said something during the struggle to suggest this. “These things are bred to fight, you know!” “Euthanize them all, they have kung-fu lock-on jaws!” “I heard a story about a guy whose neighbor’s son’s neighbor was maimed by a pitbull! Let go of the leash, I have to protect my family!”

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