This photograph of Wolfy was posted to Facebook, sparking outrage in Oct. of 2014.
A necropsy completed on an allegedly abused dog in Bucoda returned results indicating an extreme case of animal cruelty, according to Thurston County officials.
A consideration for felony charges has been filed with the Felony Division of Thurston County’s Prosecuting Attorney’s Office against both the owner of the animal and the person who shot the dog.
According to Erika Johnson, field officer and cruelty investigator with Animal Services, the results showed the dog “suffered long standing neglect.”
The dog, which was named Wolfy, had several wounds that were infested with maggots. Rocks were found in his stomach, an indication of starvation, Johnson said.
After an examination of the dog’s teeth, it was determined Wolfy was approximately 10 years old, much younger than originally thought. Results also concluded the dog did not die immediately after it was shot.
Instead, he experienced a slower death. Hemorrhaging showed the cruelty investigator of 10 years that Wolfy did not die instantly, she said.
On Oct. 28, Johnson filed a consideration for first degree animal cruelty charges, although official charges have not yet been filed. The names of both the owner and the shooter have not been released, but The Chronicle filed a public records request on Wednesday to obtain the information.
Johnson ranked this type of animal cruelty in the highest category, calling it extreme.
She said in recent years Animal Services has seen a spike in abuse cases of similar severity, but said she has not seen one as bad in the past three or four months.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney James Powers of Thurston County said he has not yet received the file for consideration, a process that typically takes a few weeks.
Once the file is received and reviewed, Powers will either send it back to law enforcement — a move that would come if he finds it’s not chargeable or if he needs more investigating — or he will assign it to a prosecutor.
The issue started to receive widespread attention after an online petition demanded an investigation into the alleged animal abuse. The petition has since collected more than 31,000 signatures.
Johnson said the case had gained international attention, with letters coming from as far as England.
A new petition has been started by Seattle DogSpot urging Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney John Tunheim to charge the men involved with first degree animal cruelty. So far, almost 900 people have signed the petition in a matter of two days.
Earlier reports by The Chronicle confirmed the dog was a typical sight in Bucoda.
The town’s mayor, Alan Carr, said no previous animal abuse incidents were reported in regards to Wolfy’s condition.
