King County pays $21.5M to settle dog mauling case

King County has agreed to pay $21.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a woman attacked by dogs in Auburn in 2022, after a judge ruled it was the county's responsibility to enforce municipal codes regarding dogs that pose a danger to the public.

The Auburn woman, 38, was jogging in her neighborhood when she was mauled by two dogs that ran from the front yard of a neighboring house. According to court filings, the dogs dragged her across the street, and she had more than 20 surgeries over the next couple of years due to her injuries. She had several broken bones.

Before the mauling, neighbors made more than 75 calls to county departments complaining about the dogs, the property and the owners' alleged criminal activity. The lawsuit alleges the home where the dogs lived was a haven" for squatters.

King County Superior Court Judge Maureen McKee ruled last month that Regional Animal Services of King County had a duty to protect the greater community from the dogs, due to numerous reports to the county that the dogs were "vicious" and ran freely; the dog owners had a history of not complying with the law; and the owners did not contain their dogs properly.

“The County had every opportunity to prevent this tragedy," said Gemma Zanowski, an attorney for the woman and her husband, in a news release. "Neighbors begged the County to do something about this property, told the County someone was going to die because of these dogs.

King County sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene and shot one of the dogs, killing it. The second dog was later impounded by county officials.

In 2021, the lawsuit claims, one of the dogs that mauled the woman was impounded by the county after it tried to attack sheriff's deputies. The dog was later returned to the owners, according to court documents. Later that year, the county issued an order for removal regarding the other dog after multiple complaints of its aggressive behavior, according to the lawsuit. Lawyers allege that at some point before the attack, the dog returned to King County.

As part of the settlement, according to Zanowski, the property owner agreed to sell the site so it could be cleaned up.

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