SEQUIM — A man accused of owning two pit bull terriers that attacked and injured a Sequim woman and her chihuahua mix dog has been issued nine citations.
Lisa Hopper, the city of Sequim’s code enforcement officer who handles animal control-related infractions, recently issued the citations to Philip Booth.
Police said the pit bull terriers escaped their yard and attacked Sandra McMillon and her pet dog, Odie, near the intersection of Third Avenue and Maple Street on Jan. 25.
McMillon lost the tip of her right index finger during the attack as she tried to fend them off and protect herself and her much smaller pet, a police spokeswoman said.
Sequim Police Officer Maris Turner estimated the infractions could amount to more than $1,500 against Booth.
The citations were two counts of biting an animal, one count of biting a human, two counts of failure to control the dogs, two counts of not having rabies immunizations and two counts of not having dog licenses.
Craig Ritchie, city attorney, said the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office gave the case to the city of Sequim after county attorneys reviewed the case and did not file charges.
“The prosecuting attorneys looked at it and felt they did not have the facts to prove beyond a reasonable doubt it was felony,” Ritchie said.
Ritchie said the dogs’ owner would have had to have had dogs that were declared dangerous before the incident.
Ritchie said Booth has the option of contesting the citations and a fine during a municipal court hearing.
The city is prepared to fight any challenge of the citations, Ritchie said, which makes the case a civil, not criminal matter, similar to a speeding citation.
“We do take it seriously,” Ritchie said. “We do think there is a civil case that’s got potential . . . Will the guy pay? That’s the issue.”
Turner said the male pit bull was euthanized because it later bit a worker at the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society shelter near Port Angeles.
The female pit bull was taken into custody at the Olympic Animal Sanctuary in Forks.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.