by Jackie Kent, KOMO News ReporterTue, November 12th 2024 at 12:47 PM

Updated Wed, November 13th 2024 at 8:44 AM

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Image of a dog that was reportedly beaten inside transitional housing for the homeless in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. (Photo: KOMO News)

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SEATTLE — A man accused of beating a dog inside transitional housing for the homeless is out of jail.

A judge on Monday found probable cause to charge the dog’s owner with animal cruelty before releasing him from jail. The 19-year-old suspect was seen in a now-viral video that led neighbors to rescue the injured pit bull.

KOMO News was at the facility on 10th Avenue East and John Street East when Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth and neighbors rallied together to get the dog to safety after watching the viral video. This effort happened a couple of days after the suspect’s arrest on Saturday from the building operated by the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA).

RELATED | Seattle council member helps rescue dog after alleged abuse in transitional housing

The group of neighbors told KOMO the suspect’s girlfriend surrendered Angel the pit bull without any problems. For many members of the community, it was an emotional moment when they left the building with the injured dog.

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Hollingsworth learned that 1-year-old Angel had scratches and some soreness after taking the dog to a veterinarian.

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Prosecutors at the suspect’s first court appearance argued for him to be held behind bars on bail. However, the man was released on personal recognizance and the judge ordered he cannot possess animals. Personal recognizance is an agreement for release without posting bail in exchange for a promise by the defendant to appear in court when a judge requires it.

Prosecutors cannot make a charging decision until police investigators refer the case to their office.

Hollingsworth said she is working with the KCRHA to get a case worker at this facility to better help the people and animals living there.

“[These are] people that have really severe cases that come from encampments that might have mental health issues or other issues. We have to have accountability,” Hollingsworth told KOMO News.

Hollingsworth and neighbors have detailed a variety of problems they allege stem from the transitional housing complex.

“We see them doing drugs all the time in there,” neighbor Rebecca Leslie explained.

Another neighbor, Kylie Rowland, said she’d like to see more security or staff at the complex: “Even if it’s like one security person,” Rowland said. “It would be helpful. I don’t think it would solve everything.”

Since the incident, the KCRHA has been tight-lipped about its staffing, so KOMO asked what are their challenges with getting a case manager at this location, and possibly others?

“We hope residents here who deserve to be here, they deserve housing, will get the supervision and support staff they need in order to successfully live in the neighborhood,” neighbor Stephen Sinclair added.

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Error 912.Federal and state officials are investigating after a rare, federally protected wolf was found dead in northern Arizona earlier this month.

By Ben Bradley

Published: Nov. 15, 2024 at 2:24 PM PST|Updated: Nov. 15, 2024 at 2:32 PM PST

WILLIAMS, AZ (AZFamily) — Federal and state officials, along with conservation groups, are asking for the public’s help after a federally protected Mexican wolf was found dead near Flagstaff earlier this month.

A female Mexican wolf, known as Hope and tagged as “F2979,” was found dead on Nov. 7 near Forest Service Road 2058 and East Spring Valley Road, about six miles northeast of state Route 64 and Spring Valley Road in Williams.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is not disclosing how she died but says “the mortality was not related to agency management actions.”

Officials say she was the first to be documented outside the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area (MWEPA), located north of I-40 near Flagstaff, earlier this year. She was captured, equipped with a GPS collar and then released back into the wild in July.

“In every photo we saw of Hope, her collar was plainly visible. If she was shot, the shooter had to know she wasn’t a coyote,” said Cyndi Tuell, Arizona and New Mexico director at Western Watersheds Project. “If someone killed Hope, the full weight of the federal and state law should be brought to bear against the person or persons who took her away from our human community which found inspiration and joy in her existence, and from the non-human community that depends upon top predators to bring balance to the landscape.”

Hope left the MWEPA again and was seen traveling with another Mexican wolf named Mystery. In October, FWS began searching for the pair to bring them back and later found Hope dead. Officials don’t know what happened to the other Mexican wolf.

Hope was at the center of a legal battle last month, as conservation groups pleaded with the state to leave her and Mystery alone, instead of relocating them back to the designated area.

“The wolves themselves are showing us what they need and where they want to be. Why not let them go there,” Greta Anderson, deputy director of the Western Watersheds Project, told Arizona’s Family in October.

FWS says killing a Mexican wolf is a violation of state law and the Federal Endangered Species Act, which can result in up to a year in jail and criminal penalties of up to $50,000.

The agency is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information that leads to a conviction in the case. The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Operation Game Thief and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish are also offering rewards of up to $1,000, respectively.

In addition, conservation groups and others have pledged additional funds of up to $51,500 for a combined reward of $103,000.

“Hope embodied the dreams of so many here in Flagstaff, including the school children who named her, that wolves can return and restore natural balance to the Grand Canyon region,” said Taylor McKinnon, Southwest director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Anyone with information about this senseless death should report it so our elk-filled forests can once again thrive with the wolves who belong here.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office in Pinetop at (346) 254-0515. Tips can also be provided to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Operation Game Thief at (800) 352-0700.

FWS says Mexican wolves were common in the Southwest until they were nearly eliminated from the wild in the 1970s “due to conflicts with livestock.”

After they were listed as endangered in 1976, a federal program was introduced to save them from extinction and in 1999, FWS released the first captive Mexican wolves into the MWEPA in Arizona and New Mexico.

According to Arizona Game and Fish, the state agency has been actively involved in reintroducing Mexican wolves to portions of their historical range for decades. Learn more about the program on the state’s website..

by: Jenna Deml

Posted: Nov 16, 2024 / 03:25 PM PST

Updated: Nov 17, 2024 / 09:23 AM PST

Tip: Follow good hygiene practices, heat turkey to internal temp of 160

SHARE https://www.koin.com/news/health/what-oregons-bird-flu-case-means-for-your-thanksgiving-turkey/

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After the first human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Oregon was confirmed on Friday, health officials are advising the public on what this means for poultry consumption in the state.

The person infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, was linked to a Clackamas County commercial poultry operation, where the Oregon Department of Agriculture had already confirmed the virus was in 150,000 birds, according to the Oregon Health Authority.Oregon considers delaying rule limiting heavy-duty truck sales

Officials said they would not name the commercial poultry operation or provide specific location information or give other details about the patient so as to protect the patient’s privacy.

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This comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed human cases of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, in Washington state. A week after the Washington cases were announced, officials confirmed three of those infected had traveled to Oregon during their infectious period and were monitored during their stay.

Given these factors and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, is it safe to eat the turkey?King tides ‘incredible’ but dangerous, emergency responders warn

According to Dr. Sarah Present with Clackamas County Public Health, you should be fine as long as you follow good hygiene practices and heat the turkey to a proper internal temperature of 160 degrees.

“The main risks that we look at on raw poultry are other bacteria. Salmonella in particular, is pretty common. So really, in making sure they have good hand hygiene, I oftentimes wear gloves when I’m preparing raw poultry, but thoroughly wash your hands and any cooking surfaces afterwards. You want to use a cutting board that can easily be sanitized with bleach afterwards.”

Present added that while you are more likely to get bird flu from being in direct contact with sick or dead birds or other mammals, there is another possible cause for the recent outbreaks.Greater Albany Schools teachers’ strike mediations continuing through the weekend

“This flu virus is pretty common in wild birds at this point. So birds that are migrating along the West Coast, we can expect maybe more birds on the ground or domestic or commercial birds to be infected during the spring and fall migratory seasons. So if you do have backyard chickens or backyard poultry flock, just be aware that this is a possible risk if you have animals that seem ill.”

As far as whether the seasonal flu vaccine would be effective against this strain, Present said that vaccine contains strains that are more common among humans.

“I do strongly encourage you to get the annual flu vaccine just to have decreased levels of flu overall, but this particular strain would not be in our current vaccine,” she noted. “If we come to a point that we need to protect more people from this particular strain – the way that our influenza vaccines are made every year – it makes it very easy to make small adjustments to include those strains in the future, if we need to.”

The U.S. has seen an ongoing outbreak of bird flu since February 2022, with 104 million birds affected in 48 states, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Overall, Oregon health officials also say coordination with local health officials, ODA and the CDC has helped them respond to animal infections by having other agencies provide personal protective equipment and training.

Stay with KOIN 6 as this story develops.

by Joe Ulery/Indiana News ServiceNovember 17, 20241Share1

https://www.953mnc.com/2024/11/17/hoosiers-push-back-on-bobcat-hunting-season/

(Photo supplied/Indiana Department of Natural Resources)

Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources is pushing a bobcat trapping plan after a new law required a hunting season by 2025.

Opponents said the plan is premature and risky without accurate data on bobcat numbers.

Samantha Chapman, Indiana state director for The Humane Society of the United States, said the DNR released only a map of bobcat sightings, mostly in southern Indiana, with no full population study.

“They should be using data to determine what type of number that quota would be,” Chapman contended. “We’re incredibly frustrated because we have yet to see any type of comprehensive population study from DNR.”

Chapman hopes residents push for the zero quota to protect Indiana’s recovering bobcat population. She noted the season would benefit only a few trappers. The current plan allows trapping in about 40 southern Indiana counties starting next November, with a statewide quota of 250 bobcats. Trappers would have a one-bobcat bag limit and be required to purchase a special bobcat license.

The Humane Society is determined to prevent past wildlife declines for the bobcat from repeating. Chapman pointed out wildlife watching brings far more revenue to Indiana than hunting or trapping.

“In 2022, it generated $16 billion for the state of Indiana and only half a percent of that was generated by hunting and trapping.”

Chapman argued it is important for Hoosiers to stress the value of live wildlife for tourism and conservation.