Trial of Allegedly Abused Dog in Bucoda Postponed for 14th Time

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A Thurston County trial for two defendants who were charged with animal cruelty has been postponed for the 14th time, this time rescheduled for Monday, July 31.

The affidavit of probable cause was filed in April 2015. The latest jury trial was scheduled to take place on Monday, but another continuance was issued instead. 

The accusations center around an allegedly abused dog in Bucoda known as Wolfy that generated broad social media interest after photos of the animal were posted online.

Robert Leatherman and Jeffrey Gavin, both of Bucoda, were charged in April 2015 with first-degree animal cruelty and second-degree animal cruelty, respectively. In May 2015, both defendants entered not-guilty pleas.

The dog’s state of health caused outrage on social media in October 2015 after photos of the animal were circulated. A petition collected thousands of signatures from around the world to encourage the filing of charges. 

Once attention was brought to the dog’s state of health, the dog was shot multiple times and died, according to court documents.

A necropsy was conducted and determined the dog was a case of extreme animal cruelty and suffered long-standing neglect. It also stated the dog died slowly after it was shot.

Leatherman was the owner of the dog and Gavin was responsible for shooting the animal, according to court documents.