Residents Claim They are ‘Hostage’ to Dogs, Neighbor

A community of residents in Mossyrock say they’ve been terrorized by more than a dozen German shepherds — a pack of dogs alleged to have killed and maimed livestock and pets, left neighbors scared to go outside and caused many sleepless nights with all-hours barking.

The dogs belong to Jacob Hadaller, a convicted felon who lives in the rural neighborhood on Birley Road and is currently awaiting trial on charges of dealing heroin. Hadaller is out on bail, and neighbors say the problem is not going away.

“I’ve been going through hell for a long time,” said Kat Carroll, who owns the Adytum Sanctuary, a bed and breakfast situated above the hill from Hadaller’s property. “The entire hill has been held hostage by this man.”

Carroll, who has led neighborhood efforts to raise awareness of the issue, said the problem has been going on for a decade, and frustrations have mounted. Public records provided by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office show 33 complaints have been placed to the agency regarding Hadaller’s address in the past two years, from at least five different individuals, the Sheriff’s Office and the Chehalis Police Department.

Records obtained by The Chronicle show Hadaller was issued an infraction on Aug. 5 when his dogs killed one neighbor’s chickens and injured another’s dog. He received an 

infraction Aug. 8, after the dogs were seen chasing another neighbor’s horses. On Aug. 16, he was referred to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office on an animals at large misdemeanor charge after his dogs killed a neighbor’s chicken. A spokesperson for the Prosecutor’s Office said the case has not yet been processed and offered no timeline on whether charges might be filed.

A slew of incident reports paint a picture of the incessant nature of the problem, as sheriff’s officers return to the property again and again to respond to neighbors’ complaints. More than a dozen infractions have been issued by the Sheriff’s Office alone, as well as another misdemeanor charge that was not pursued by prosecutors. 

In one incident, an officer used pepper spray on a lunging dog. Another time, an officer used a baton to keep an aggressive dog at bay. On a third occasion, an officer did not exit his vehicle, feeling threatened by the dogs. At times, reports show Hadaller offering remorse and pledging to keep the dogs under control in the future. On other occasions, he’s reported berating officers and walking away as citations are written.

In a discussion about the issue among county commissioners earlier this month, it was mentioned that Hadaller is known to rip up citations in front of enforcement officers as soon as they’re issued.

In part because of that issue, Lewis County added a provision to a dangerous animal ordinance passed last week that would make it a misdemeanor — or a criminal matter — to accrue five infractions over a 10-year period. 

On Aug. 15, three sheriff’s vehicles were seen by The Chronicle responding to Hadaller’s address, though Sgt. Dan Riordan said the call was related to a tenant of Hadaller’s.

“We’ve been out here a few times,” he acknowledged.

Several dogs were seen following Riordan’s truck up Hadaller’s long driveway.

A search of Washington case records found Hadaller was listed as a defendant in 54 cases dating back to 2009. Despite his legal issues, he and his dogs remain on the property, and neighbors feel the county hasn’t done enough to deal with the problem.

“It’s nerve-wracking,” said one neighbor, who asked not to be named, fearing reprisals from Hadaller. “I’m very nervous. I carry pepper spray. … It’s awful.”

Other neighbors have said Hadaller has shot firearms in his yard and threatened the lives of people who have challenged him. The anonymous neighbor who spoke to The Chronicle said she was riding home on her bike June 18 when five of Hadaller’s dogs blocked the road. The German shepherds would not move, and she was scared to ride by. She had seen them chasing horses and was worried cycling by would trigger a chase reaction. She was only able to continue when a good Samaritan in a car used an umbrella to shoo the dogs away. The resident provided photos showing five dogs in front of Hadaller’s property.

That resident said it’s not her first time confronting the dogs.

“I have grandkids here at times,” she said. “I tell my grandkids, ‘If you see those dogs, don’t run, just scream.’ It’s scary.”

Another resident, who also asked not to be named, said she had chickens killed last week by the dogs.

“They’ve killed some chickens, they’ve killed a cat. Our dog had to go to the vet where it got chewed on,” said Richard Zavodsky, who lives across the street from Hadaller. “They’re over here quite often chasing horses, causing hate and discontent in the neighborhood.”

At a county commission hearing on a separate dangerous animal ordinance last week, neighbor Norma Sims said her husband was chased by seven dogs while haying this year. 

“You can’t even walk out into the field,” she said. 

Zavodsky said his wife is fearful of going outside.

“Not me so much, because we have firearms,” he added. “It hasn’t come to that yet. It’s escalating slowly.”

Hadaller has four felony convictions on burglary, theft and drug charges, and he’s facing another on possession of heroin with intent to deliver. On June 20, following a seven-month investigation, members of the Joint Narcotic Enforcement Team and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a SWAT raid on the property.

According to court documents, agents found a quarter pound of heroin, a small amount of methamphetamines, more than $5,000 in cash, a digital scale, drug packaging, Oxycontin pills, Suboxone strips, pistol holsters and ammunition.

In addition, three firearms were seized from his father’s house, including a “Tommy Gun,” according to court documents. Hadaller claimed to have buried more firearms in “the hills.” Agents also found two safes beneath cut floorboards at the home of Hadaller’s father, containing $95,000 in cash that a narcotics K-9 identified as having the odor of drugs.

“A quarter pound of heroin is actually quite a bit of heroin for the average user,” said Centralia Police Commander Stacy Denham, explaining why the “intent to deliver” charge was filed. “Most users don’t have a quarter pound on them.”

According to Denham, the known issue with the dogs factored into the planning for JNET’s SWAT raid, though the drug issue was the sole focus from legal standpoint.

“They showed up with a contingency plan if the dogs were to be violent,” he said.

Officers found it “surprising” that they were able to guide the dogs into the kennel without incident.

Hadaller’s lawyer, Robert Brungardt, did not return requests for comment.

Amid the criminal charges, Hadaller has been issued a near-constant string of civil citations regarding the dogs. At last count, he had 16 German shepherds, according to Lewis County Code Enforcement Supervisor Bill Teitzel, and the county has revoked his kennel license required to own that many dogs. 

At the hearing on the dangerous animal measure passed by the county, many of Hadaller’s neighbors showed up to say the ordinance did not go far enough.

“These dogs are being weaponized by this individual, and this county is doing nothing to protect us,” Carroll said. “The ordinance is still deficient.”

In one Sheriff’s Office incident report, Carroll showed officers a Facebook message from Hadaller telling her to “stop sending the (expletive) pigs to my house,” an apparent reference to her constant calls to police about the barking.

Carroll and others are frustrated at the pace at which the county has moved, and they feel the county’s action isn’t likely to get them relief anytime soon. Part of the issue is that specific animals have to be identified to be declared dangerous and confiscated by the county, and with a large pack of near-identical dogs, it’s impossible to pick out which dog carried out a particular attack.

Deputy prosecuting attorney Eric Eisenberg announced at the hearing in front of the BOCC that the county is looking into filing nuisance charges in Superior Court, an attempt to get at the problem from outside the scope of the dangerous animal ordinance. Eisenberg was out of the office and unavailable for comment this week, and the prosecutor’s office said he was the only staffer able to speak to that issue. 

County Commissioner Gary Stamper empathized with the constituents in his East County district, expressing frustration at the bureaucratic hang-ups that have allowed Hadaller to avoid consequences.

“Is there any way we can take the dogs away from him?” he asked at the hearing. “Whatever we can do to potentially eliminate the loopholes, things need to get done.”

At the hearing, former Commissioner Ron Averill noted that citizens have the right to shoot dogs that are causing danger on their property. 

“It’s the Wild West at this point,” Carroll said later in the hearing. In an interview later in the week, she said she was frustrated that it had come to the point where that was even being proposed. 

“Is that really my job, to start shooting as an untrained civilian?”

Sims said at the hearing that her husband told Hadaller he would shoot his dogs if they again attacked on his property.

“Jake said, ‘You shoot my dogs, I’ll shoot you right between the eyes,’” she said.

In three separate incident reports, neighbors reported shooting at the dogs or firing warning shots to scare them away.

Following the passage of the new dangerous animal rule, all three county commissioners said they were hopeful more would be done to deal with the issue for the residents near Birley Road.

“This is not a perfect solution by any stretch of the imagination,” said Commissioner Bobby Jackson. “I hope you’re able to find a quick solution Eric (Eisenberg).”

Added Stamper: “We’ll do everything we can to expedite and cover these loopholes. … We cannot tell judges, and we cannot tell lawyers what they can and cannot do.”

Addressing Carroll, Eisenberg said the nuisance lawsuit the county is planning to file is all it can do under the law.

“We’re going to do what you want us to do,” he said. “(The commissioners) have instructed us to pursue this lawsuit on your and your neighbor’s behalf.”

Carroll said the county hasn’t gone far enough.

“We cannot wait on a Superior Court action. I don’t understand how local law works … but there needs to be something written up as an emergency measure,” she said. 

In an interview, she said the consequences of inaction will be stark.

“The bottom line is the county has ignored this and they’ve minimized it,” Carroll said. “You guys are putting our lives in danger. ... They all come back to procedure, and I’m just over procedure.”

The resident who was confronted by the dogs while on her bike said she was also disappointed with the pace of resolution.

“It’s frustrating to see them out in the yard,” she said. “I think the dogs should be taken away. They’re waiting for maybe a human to be bit first.”

In addition to the attacks, multiple residents said they’ve heard the dogs “screaming” late at night as if in pain. 

“I can’t even sleep in my own master bedroom,” Carroll said. “It goes on all night.”

Neighbors also said Hadaller has recently honked car horns at 3 a.m. as retaliation for reporting him. Given his record, they’re living in fear as long as he’s nearby.

“We have the right to live in safety,” Carroll said. “He has all of us under his thumb.”