An update from the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office on the brutal dog attack that unfolded earlier this week in unincorporated Bremerton confirms that four pit bulls attacked several people, injuring eight and killing a beloved disabled pet.
The owner of the dogs is now under investigation for violating Washington State’s Dangerous Dogs law, according to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office.
The chaos began December 17 at the intersection of 2nd Avenue West and West Earhart Street when a leashed pit bull broke free and attacked a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Jasper, who was being walked by his owner on a mobility scooter.
As the initial attack occurred, three additional pit bulls, owned by the same man, ran through an open door and joined in the assault, according to the sheriff’s office.
A neighbor who wanted to remain anonymous said, “It was the most animalistic, barbaric scene.”
Jasper, the disabled Ridgeback, succumbed to the injuries inflicted by the pit bulls, investigators confirmed.
Lauren Laney showed her bandaged hand on December 18, where she was bitten by a pit bull while trying to save Jasper.
“I ran over there to see if I could help, and it was four pit bulls attacking this one dog,” Laney said.
She was walking her daughter to the bus stop when she heard someone’s calls for help. She jumped in to try to separate the dogs she described as “relentless,” then called 911.
During the attack, eight people sustained injuries, including the 28-year-old owner of the pit bulls, investigators said.
The owner on a mobility scooter being unable to physically intervene to protect Jasper adds a particularly tragic element to the attack. The disability that required both the scooter and likely contributed to Jasper’s own mobility issues left the owner helpless to save their companion.
The cascade of events, starting with one leashed pit bull breaking free, escalating when three more dogs poured through an open door, demonstrates how quickly a single dog can trigger pack behavior. Four dogs attacking together creates a situation virtually impossible for civilians to stop safely.
Lauren Laney’s decision to intervene despite the danger likely saved human lives. Her daughter was with her, walking to the bus stop on what should have been an ordinary morning. Instead, she witnessed her mother jump into a dog fight and get bitten trying to save a stranger’s pet.
The description of the dogs as “relentless” captures the sustained nature of the attack. These weren’t warning nips or brief scuffles. Multiple dogs continued attacking despite the presence of multiple humans trying to stop them.
The fact that eight people were injured, including the dogs’ own owner, indicates widespread chaos as neighbors and passersby attempted to intervene. Each person who jumped in to help became another potential victim.
Washington’s Dangerous Dogs law, RCW 16.08.100, allows authorities to declare dogs dangerous and impose restrictions or order euthanasia after attacks. The owner faces potential criminal charges, civil liability for medical expenses and the loss of Jasper, and possible seizure of the dogs.
The mobility scooter detail appears twice in this tragedy: Jasper’s owner used one, and Jasper himself was disabled, suggesting the dog may have had limited mobility making escape impossible. A healthy, mobile dog might have been able to flee. Jasper couldn’t.
The open door that allowed three additional dogs to escape suggests inadequate containment. The owner either left the door open or the dogs were able to open it themselves, either scenario representing a failure to properly secure animals with demonstrated aggression.
