On a drizzly Thursday morning (Jan. 14th), officials from Sea-Tac Airport demonstrated some brand new toys – a new, advanced bird tracking system with real-time displays of bird activity on and around the airport – and Photographer Francis Zera got lucky and was invited onto the actual runway.

In partnership with University of Illinois researchers and the Federal Aviation Administration, Sea-Tac is the first airport in the country to begin the use of this technology, which will allow wildlife management staff to access live data as they patrol the airfield to minimize bird hazards.

Sea-Tac Airport has been the demonstration site for avian radar research since 2007, and in fact currently has three avian radars installed, two on the top of the airport’s office building and one in the middle of the airfield between two runways (see photos below for details).

“Sea-Tac is a leader in the evaluation of this technology,” said Dr. Edwin Herricks, the leader of the University of Illinois research program, a professor of civil and environmental engineering. “I don’t know where this program would be without the input and real-life evaluation efforts by the staff and support from the Port of Seattle.”

Through the FAA-designated Center of Excellence for Airport Technology (CEAT) at the University of Illinois, the latest milestone in the research program builds on equipment from Accipiter Radar Inc. that provides geographic displays of bird activity on Google Earth™ maps.

“This technology will give us situational awareness of the entire airfield day or night – it will be like wearing a huge pair of binoculars,” said Steve Osmek, Sea-Tac Airport’s wildlife biologist. “Rather than depending only on what we can see from our particular location, we’ll be able to know if there are bird issues anywhere around the airfield so we can respond quickly and appropriately.”

Here’s Francis Zera’s Photo Slideshow:

Click to View Francis Zera’s Photo Slideshow

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You may remember “Snaps,” the pit bull that was used as a “weapon” by a Burien teen and her friends in an attack on two different women in SeaTac on June 21st (last week, the 16-year old female suspect plead “guilty,” and her sentencing will be Oct. 8th).

At one point, this dog was very close to being put down, as he was considered dangerous and not a candidate for rehabilitation. However, due to a huge outpouring of public sentiment, which included numerous Comments left on this blog, as well as phone calls, numerous online polls and emails sent directly to the King County Animal Shelter, “Snaps’” story has a happy ending – he has a new home at the Olympic Animal Sanctuary in Forks, where he will live out the remainder of his life.

So a story that began with human ignorance, abuse and downright cruelty seemingly is headed toward a happy ending for a poor, innocent animal – just take a look at the “before” and “after” photos above (on the left, Snaps in his cage at KCACC; on the right, his current state at the Olympic Animal Sanctuary).

Here’s a note from the folks at KCACC Exposed, a website devoted to “stopping the taxpayer-funded suffering of animals at the hands of King County Animal Care & Control”:

Betrayed and abused by his owner(s), authorities would’ve easily destroyed him but for the dedication of people who saw the the unfair treatment and judgment and quickly sprang into action. With them, a caring public who would not stand for another misunderstood and mislabeled animal being killed. For Snaps, his future looks bright. He has gone to Olympic Animal Sanctuary in Forks, Washington. Thank you to all the Snaps advocates who kept up with the story and spoke out. Please remember there are many more like him. They silently suffer and endure whatever humans choose to do with them.

Snaps … has been released to an animal sanctuary where he will be allowed to live out his life in peace. Steve Markwell, executive director of Olympic Animal Sanctuary in Forks, Washington, picked Snaps up from King County Animal Care and Control (KCACC) on Friday afternoon (Sept. 11th) and transported him to his new home.

By Saturday morning, Snaps was getting his first chance to stretch his legs in nearly three months, romping with Mr. Markwell in a sanctuary exercise yard. Snaps then took a ride in the cab of Mr. Markwell’s truck (with his head in Mr. Markwell’s lap) and shared an order of French Fries.

“Snaps is a sweet dog who has been through hell. He has likely been in fear most of his life, and his behavior has been a testament to all of his suffering,” said Mr. Markwell. Mr. Markwell adds that he believes the aggressive behavior Snaps reportedly demonstrated at KCACC came largely as a result of his lengthy confinement in a kennel.

Mr. Markwell says the reputation of Snaps as “vicious” has taken on “mythical proportions,” but “he’s really just a dog who’s been hurt, and deserves better.”

“He’s still learning to trust people again, but he’s not the most difficult dog I’ve worked with, and he’s not the most difficult dog at the Sanctuary. I believe Snaps will not only thrive in this environment, but that he will be an ambassador for misunderstood dogs everywhere,” he said.

The release of Snaps comes after a long battle with King County authorities, who had insisted on keeping the dog in inhumane conditions at KCACC from the time that he was involved in the June 21 incident. An informal, grassroots campaign to “Save Snaps” was launched after his owner, a 16-year-old Burien girl, was arrested for beating and kicking the dog until he participated in her assault on two Good Samaritans, who had stopped to try to save Snaps from abuse. Last week, the girl pleaded guilty to charges of assault and possession of alcohol – although she was never charged with animal cruelty.

Since the day that Snaps was seized from his owner, he has been kept in a tiny indoor kennel at the KCACC shelter in Kent, with no exercise, social contact, or fresh air. Soon after he was impounded, KCACC Exposed learned that KCACC Interim Manager Nancy McKenney had warned KCACC staff members that they were not to “make friends” with Snaps, telling compassionate staff members that they were not to visit Snaps, or give the dog anything more than the minimal level of care, such as food, water, and cage cleaning once a day. Only after KCACC Exposed wrote a letter protesting the conditions in which Snaps was being held did KCACC managers relent and allow the dog to have a bed and toys, but staff report that he still was never allowed to leave his kennel, except to be dragged at the end of an animal control catchpole.

Although Snaps has now been released from KCACC, other animals on long-term holds continue to be housed in similar conditions in the Kent shelter – albeit with far less public awareness of their plight.

During Snaps’s stay at KCACC, authorities claim he underwent two “independent behavior assessments,” from “outside experts” who reportedly determined that Snaps was dangerous and could not be rehabilitated. KCACC has refused to release either assessment, or identify the groups or individuals who performed the assessments, although KCACC Exposed has now filed a public disclosure request to obtain those records. However, KCACC staff have informed KCACC Exposed that the first assessment was by a regional rescue group with no expertise in abused dogs or behavior assessments, and that the representative of the group did not even go inside the kennel when performing the evaluation, but simply looked at Snaps through the fence.

Mr. Markwell, who was provided a copy of this assessment, confirms that the assessors “never even observed the dog outside of his kennel, and thus did not conduct a single test before determining that he was dangerous and recommending that he be killed.”

Mr. Markwell was not given a copy of the second assessment that was reportedly done on Snaps. However, KCACC Exposed has been told that the second group of evaluators asked that Snaps be released into their custody for a week, so that he could relax and be evaluated outside the stressful and terrifying environment of the KCACC shelter, but that Ms. McKenney refused that request.

KCACC staff members have reported that although Snaps clearly has issues resulting from his troubled past, he responded to treats, affection, and kindness while impounded at the shelter.

Nearly twelve weeks later, and following the guilty plea of Snaps’s former owner, KCACC and the prosecuting attorney’s office agreed to release the dog after relentless pressure from the public, local animal advocates, and members of the King County Council.

Of course, KCACC has been shameless in taking credit for Snaps’s happy ending, with Ms. McKenney going so far as to claim in a press release that “This is an example of the hard work our staff does to ensure that every animal has a chance.”

Ms. McKenney made this claim despite the fact that KCACC did nothing to facilitate the transfer of Snaps – in fact, it was KCACC Exposed Co-Chair Kim Sgro who contacted Olympic Animal Sanctuary and secured Mr. Markwell’s consent to take the dog. Meanwhile, KCACC staff and volunteers report that Ms. McKenney and other shelter leaders repeatedly complained about being told that they had to allow Snaps to be transferred, and insisted that the dog should be killed even if there was a sanctuary that was willing to take him.

In taking all the credit for itself, KCACC management ignores the real heroes of this story who should be recognized: You

KCACC, King County Executive Kurt Triplett, and the King County Council were bombarded with letters and phone calls from the public, as well as multiple public petitions with thousands of signatures, pointing out that Snaps was as much of a victim as the women he was forced to attack, and demanding that every effort be made to save him. Although KCACC answered these letters with dismissive boilerplate, others were listening. There is no question that the outpouring of compassion for Snaps got the attention of public officials, and caused them to take a careful look at his case. Once these officials learned more about Snaps, the abuse that he had suffered, and the neglect that he was continuing to endure, several compassionate public officials and their staff intervened on the dog’s behalf.

As Councilmember Kathy Lambert acknowledges, this happy ending occurred in large part because of the public’s involvement: “I would like to congratulate the research and advocacy of all the animal welfare supporters who contacted my office and the animal shelter on behalf of Snaps,” she says.

King County Council
As has become all too common, it was the King County Council that had to intervene to force KCACC to do the right thing. This time, it was the intervention of Councilmember Lambert that was critical. After KCACC Exposed co-chair Sgro contacted Olympic Animal Sanctuary, and the sanctuary agreed to take Snaps, Councilmember Lambert worked directly with King County Executive Kurt Triplett, and his advisor Noel Treat, to facilitate the transfer.

“This animal is a victim of abuse and did not deserve to be euthanized just because of the irresponsibility of his owner, if any other appropriate options are available,” says Councilmember Lambert, who was present at KCACC when Snaps was transferred in order to make sure that things proceeded smoothly. “It is unfortunate that people were injured before this dog could be rescued from abuse, and I hope that the women who were injured have a speedy and complete recovery. In the case of Snaps, I believe this is a positive outcome.”

Councilmember Lambert has earned a reputation for her compassion for the most vulnerable members of society – children who get lost in the system, and jail inmates who are mistreated in custody. We are delighted that she is now also working to protect animals who are abused, neglected, and forgotten. (Check back here soon for articles on Councilmember Lambert’s efforts to ensure that King County plans for pets during disasters, and her legislation to force KCACC to allow transfers of animals to local shelters and rescue groups.)

KCACC Staff Members
Too often, the KCACC staff is implicated in the failures of KCACC management and the obstructionist policies of the KCACC Guild. It becomes all too easy to forget that many of these staff members have their hearts in the right place, and are doing their best to help the animals caught in the failing shelter. Through this experience, it has again become clear that many staff members are compassionate, caring people. They did their best for Snaps even under orders not to give him any special care, showed clear affection and sympathy for the abused dog, and were overjoyed when they heard that he was going to be released to a sanctuary. Without their care, we’re sure that Snaps would have been in much worse shape when he was finally released. (How sad is it that we cannot name these staff members, because they would be in danger of retaliation from King County for their compassionate behavior?)

Steve Markwell, Olympic Animal Sanctuary
Mr. Markwell of Olympic Animal Sanctuary is the ultimate hero of this story. Very few sanctuaries or shelters are willing to take a dog that another shelter has decided should die. Sanctuaries and rescue groups all over the country were contacted about Snaps, by private citizens, KCACC Exposed, and county officials. None agreed to take the dog. When Best Friends Animal Society ultimately refused to take Snaps, Ms. Sgro contacted Olympic Animal Sanctuary, and was thrilled to finally receive a “yes.”

With the motto “We Save Dogs You’d Rather See Dead,” Olympic Animal Sanctuary focuses on dogs such as Snaps who are considered unadoptable by other shelters, including former fighting dogs, street dogs, and dogs that have attacked other animals or bitten people. These dogs are given lifetime care (with no possibility of adoption, due to safety concerns), along with exercise, affection, and freedom from fear and stress. Says the sanctuary website: “People made them monsters; Olympic Animal Sanctuary lets them be dogs again.”

Although Snaps will never have contact with the general public, he will get plenty of exercise, including a chance to enjoy a swimming pool. Most importantly, he will get a chance just to be a dog.

Mr. Markwell says that his goal with Snaps “is the same as it is for every dog at the Sanctuary – I want him to be healthy, happy, and safe.”
“Walking on a leash is a bonus. Not biting is a bonus. I’d like him to be able to play with other dogs, but we’ll have to wait and see how that goes,” says Mr. Markwell. “Truthfully, I’ve already reached my goal with Snaps, so everything we accomplish from here is gravy.”

Note: We will be visiting Snaps at Olympic Animal Sanctuary next week, and hope to return with more photos and videotape showing his progress. Please check back soon!

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According to The Seattle Times, two counts of third-degree assault were filed Monday (July 6th) against a 16-year-old Burien girl who allegedly sicced a pit bull on two women in SeaTac.

The suspect, who is not being named because she is underage and is being charged in King County Juvenile Court, had trained “Snaps,” the pit bull (pictured above), to attack, according to charging papers (read our June 22nd report here).

Sgt. John Urquhart of the King County Sheriff’s Department said a warrant has been issued for the girl’s arrest, and that she is being sought by deputies. She is slated to be arraigned on July 14th.

Court documents (view/download PDF here) allege that the female and a group of boys were found abusing the animal on June 21st before the two women were attacked by the dog.

The Times also reports that three White Center boys, ages 11, 12 and 13, who were with the girl during the attacks will not face charges because the girl is believed to be responsible.

A 63-year-old woman says she saw four youths kicking the dog and pulled her car over to see if they were okay. The girl cursed at the woman and told her to butt out.

When the woman threatened to call 9-1-1, the female suspect leaned into the car, grabbed the woman’s hair and took her cellphone. The girl then beat the woman with her own phone, court papers said.

All this was witnessed by a 41 year-old Seattle woman, who followed the group to nearby North SeaTac Park. When the 15 year-old figured out they were followed, she walked up to the woman and head-butted her, then threw punches to her head and body.

Next the dog joined the fray and became increasing violent as the rest of the group egged the dog on. The woman suffered serious bite injuries, including wounds to her head and face, as well as serious gashes and puncture wounds to both arms. Her left forearm was flayed open and the bone could be seen.

Sheriff’s deputies arrived and found the four nearby, still with the dog. All were taken into custody without incident.

To read the full story, click here. To read the court documents, click here for a PDF file (warning: contains mature language).

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According to the King County Sheriff’s Department, two women were attacked Sunday night (June 21st) by four young persons using a pit bull as a weapon.

The oldest suspect was a 15 year-old girl. The youngest was 11.

The incident began Sunday evening around 6:30pm in the 13300 block of Des Moines Memorial Drive in SeaTac (map below).

A 63 year-old Seattle woman stopped her car when she saw four kids repeatedly kicking a pit bull dog. She thought the group might need some assistance. However the oldest in the group, a 15 year-old girl, told the women to mind her own business, then tried to pull the woman from her car.

The woman got out the car and was immediately attacked by the girl who repeatedly punched her on the head and back with closed fists. One of the boys in the group ran over with the dog who began biting her. Eventually the four ran off with the dog.

The victim had bruises from the hitting and puncture wounds from the dog to her hand and thigh.

All this was witnessed by a 41 year-old Seattle woman, who followed the group to nearby North SeaTac Park. When the 15 year-old figured out they were followed, she walked up to the woman and head-butted her, then threw punches to her head and body.

Next the dog joined the fray and became increasing violent as the rest of the group egged the dog on. The woman suffered serious bite injuries, including wounds to her head and face, as well as serious gashes and puncture wounds to both arms. Her left forearm was flayed open and the bone could be seen.

Sheriff’s deputies arrived and found the four nearby, still with the dog. All were taken into custody without incident.

The 15 year-old girl was injured by the dog in the melee, and her foot was injured from repeatedly kicking one of the victims.

All four suspects were released to their parents, as the 15 year-old needed medical attention.

The suspects are 15, 13, 12, and 11 years old respectively. All are boys except for the 15 year-old.

Deputies turned the dog over to Animal Control.

Sheriff’s detectives will likely file felony assault charges against at least the 15 year-old.

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Sea-Tac Airport won an award this week from a source you don’t usually associate with airports – PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), which gave them a “Proggy Award” in the Most Progressive Airport category for 2009.

The honor was bestowed upon the airport for its innovative use of bird radar, lasers and pyrotechnics used to deter birds from flying into the paths of airplanes, as well as its full-time staff biologist and more.

Here’s the press release from PETA:

For using radar, lasers, and pyrotechnics to keep birds away from airspace that could put them on a collision course with aircraft, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has won a PETA Proggy Award in the Most Progressive Airport category. Sea-Tac will receive a framed certificate and will be featured on PETA’s award-winning Web site, PETA.org. PETA’s Proggy Awards (“Proggy” is for “progress”) recognize animal-friendly achievements in commerce and culture.

According to news reports, Sea-Tac employs a staff wildlife biologist and 20 assistants who work to prevent potentially disastrous collisions between rapidly moving aircraft and flocks of slow-moving birds. The airport uses a special radar system to detect flocks of birds and, by observing their flying patterns, identify their species. Once it’s determined that a flock could be on a collision course with an airplane, the wildlife team focuses lasers in the birds’ eyes to mimic a predator. This is usually enough to make the birds change course and fly to a safer area. If the lasers don’t do the trick, the team rolls out the pyrotechnics–explosive shells that are shot into the air. The program has proved effective in protecting both aircraft and birds.

Sea-Tac has also done several things to make the airport less attractive to birds and other animals. It installed netting over storm-water ponds, put in plants that would deter birds from nesting, and installed underground fencing to prevent burrowing animals from reaching runways. Not only is killing birds around airports cruel, it is also ineffective. As long as conditions remain attractive to birds, others will move in to fill the void left by those who are killed.

“Sea-Tac’s program is an effective and compassionate way to handle wildlife around aircraft, and it should be a model for every airport,” says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “We commend Sea-Tac for adopting nonlethal measures that protect airline passengers without hurting birds and other animals.”

For more information about PETA’s work to protect animals, please visit PETA.org.

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You survived April Fool’s Day, but will you make it through “April Drool’s Day” without taking home a new best friend?

This Sunday, April 5th, from Noon-3pm will be a special event where you can meet adoptable dogs and puppies from nine shelters and rescues. Over 100 dogs available, including small dogs. Fall in love with your new best friend. All dogs and puppies are spayed/neutered, temperament tested and up to date on shots. Trainers, staff and volunteers will be on hand to help you find the right match for your family.

Many of these dogs are from rural shelters and really need a chance at a home.

“April Drools” will take place at Paws-Abilities dog training center, which is located at 1007 Industry Drive in Tukwila (map below).

More information at www.pawsitivealliance.org.

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On Thursday afternoon (Nov. 20th) you may have witnessed lotsa hullabaloo around Sea-Tac Airport, like helicopters, media vans, VIPs and such.

Don’t worry, it wasn’t the end of the world as we know it, it’s just proof that the third runway at Sea-Tac Airport opened with a PR-stunt bigshot landing.

Here’s a snippet from the Port of Seattle of what went down :

The Port of Seattle will formally open Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s third runway with an invitation-only celebration Thursday, November 20 between 3 and 5 p.m. at the Gina Marie Lindsey Arrivals Hall.

The event will include a live video look at the first commercial operation of the third runway plus dignataries scheduled to include U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, Acting FAA Administrator Robert A. “Bobby” Sturgell, Governor Chris Gregoire, Port of Seattle Commissioners, POS CEO Tay Yoshitani, Alaska Airlines CEO Bill Ayer and other local political and community leaders.

Sea-Tac’s third runway will be one of three new runways scheduled to open that day across the country. The Transportation Secretary and FAA Administrator are scheduled to travel to each new runway beginning at Dulles (Washington, D.C.), then to O’Hare (Chicago) and finally to Sea-Tac. Potential program delays could occur based on their travel time.

Speaking of third runways, if you didn’t hear this excellent piece on KUOW recently, we highly recommend you listen to it, as it includes an eye-opening interview with longtime local resident Brett Fish, who says that all the PR we hear lately from the Port about the renewing of MIller (and Walker) Creeks may not be so true after all – according to Brett, salmon are not returning like they used to.

In fact, during the taping of the KUOW piece, not one salmon was found where the Port folks said they would be:

KUOW story here (includes transcript and audio recording).

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According to both The Seattle Times and KOMO news, King County sheriff’s officers shot and killed two pit bulls who were attacking a 72-year old SeaTac woman Monday morning.

A call came in around 8am reporting the attack at South 150th Street and 30th Avenue South, said King County sheriff’s spokesman John Urquhart.

The elderly woman apparently hid nearby while a deputy shot and killed one of the dogs; the second dog ran off, but was shot and killed when it returned, he said.

The woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries.
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