Animal Rights Activists to Stage Protest in Edmonds

Edmonds animal lovers plan to stage a protest outside the Edmonds municipal building Monday, May 20, at 2:30 p.m., saying law enforcement isn’t doing enough in the case of Rose Adams who, along with George Beutler, faces animal cruelty charges after videos depicting dog fights surfaced on the Internet. Both made bond and were released from Snohomish County Jail this weekend.

At issue for supporters such as Stacy Gunsaules, who lives in nearby Mill Creek and works in Edmonds, is the fact the the charges are misdemeanors, which could open the door for as many as 5 of the 14 seized dogs to be returned to Adams. The penalty for animal cruelty in Edmonds is restitution to the city for veterinary and kennel costs incurred.

Edmonds Police Sgt. Mark Marsh said the alleged abuse shown on the videos was not enough evidence to elevate the charges to felonies.

“If they were running a dog-fighting organization, that would rise to that level, or them being more aggressive about injuring the animals, we would just need a lot more than we had,” Marsh said.

Edmonds Animal Control Police Officer Debbie Dawson said that before the warrant was issued, officers gave Adams the opportunity to let them examine the injured animal, and Adams denied that any animals in the home were injured. Dawson also said the animal control department has tried numerous times to find evidence to support complaints filed against Adams, such as calling the numbers on Craigslist ads purporting to sell the dogs, with no success and Adams has been uncooperative, refusing to let officers on the property voluntarily.

Adams had 5 of the dogs licensed, including a Pit Bull Terrier named “Sadie,” who has become the poster child of sorts for activists. Edmonds Animal Control Police Officer Debbie Dawson said it is possible that Sadie could be returned because she is licensed but that her case is “unique, because though she’s licensed, she’s also a subject of the animal cruelty investigation.”

Both Dawson and Marsh said that though the ultimate decision regarding whether Sadie or another more seriously injured dog, Brownie, is returned to Adams is up to the judge in the case, Edmonds municipal Judge Douglas Fair, they intend to take steps to prevent that from happening. As of Friday, Sadie was being cared for at a kennel the city contracts with, and Brownie was still under veterinary care.

The founder of a Redmond-base pet rescue, J'me Thomas, said a lot of times people want to rescue dogs but get in over their heads, and that having a large number of dogs in a small space is a recipe for trouble, no matter what the breed, noting that Pit Bull terriers tend to do better in small groups.

"Get too many dogs in one place and they are going to fight," Thomas said.

Gunsaules said that she's gotten involved because she feels the case case and how it's been handled reflect badly on the city that she loves.

When she hears negative Internet chatter about Edmonds regarding the case, "I take that personally, because Edmonds is not a bad place," Gunsaules said.