Signs went up on Wednesday in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood advising homeless RV dwellers that the RVs parked there will be cleared on Friday after a second dog attack in five days, reports KOMO News.
The attack occurred just after 10 a.m. on Wednesday at Alaska Street and 7th Avenue South, roughly half a block away from a similar attack on Friday involving three different dogs.
Witnesses say a dog named Diesel attacked a man described to be in his 50’s while he was working on his semi-tractor trailer truck parked in front of the RV where the dog and its owner lived.
The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with puncture wounds, according to a Seattle Police spokesperson. The dog was taken into quarantine by Seattle Animal Control.
A friend of the dog’s owner described Diesel as friendly and non-threatening and says people living in RVs in the area need dogs as protection.
“Those of us who are out here living in a motorhome, if you leave that motorhome all the other homeless people are going to come in and take anything you got,” Theresa Lindamood said.
Leslie Shelton was walking her Great Dane, Lili, in front of her business half a block away on Friday when three dogs bolted from an RV when it’s owner opened the door. All three dogs attacked both Shelton and Lili.
Shelton nearly lost a finger and suffered puncture wounds on her leg and hip. Lili suffered deep puncture wounds and is recovering.
‘This wave of anger came over me because it happened to somebody else,” said Shelton after seeing the aftermath of Wednesday’s attack. “The City is allowing these RVs to exist and they are a threat to our safety.”
About 15 RVs surround Shelton’s business. She says she and others have called the city about drug dealing, prostitution, dumping of raw sewage and feces, as well as aggressive dogs. “I don’t see this problem going away anytime soon, it’s a matter of the people standing up and saying enough is a enough, we need to take back our city,” Shelton said.