ELECTRIC CITY – An Electric City woman is facing charges of second-degree animal cruelty after police seized 29 dogs from her one-bedroom basement apartment on Coulee Boulevard, where she allegedly violated code enforcement citations for over a year, according to the Grand Coulee Star.
The woman, Kari Doughty, was not home when Coulee Dam Police Chief Paul Bowden and officers arrived with a search warrant on October 4. However, she arrived while law enforcement and staff from Spokanimal, a Spokane-based animal rescue, were in the process of seizing the dogs, which included 18 adult dogs and 11 puppies from multiple recent litters. According to Bowden’s report, filed with the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, Doughty became confrontational.
“She arrived on-scene and started yelling obscenities and demanding law enforcement leave her dogs where they were,” the report stated. Despite her protests, the animals were removed.
In a conversation with The Grand Coulee Star on Monday, Bowden explained that the charge of second-degree animal cruelty is a gross misdemeanor and an arrestable offense. However, he decided against pushing for an arrest, saying he doubted the Grant County Jail would book her at the time.
Instead, Officers Matthew Ponusky and Joshua Watkins escorted Doughty away without using restraints or physical force. Watkins noted in his report that Doughty denied neglecting her dogs and claimed that none had died in her care. He explained to her that the case would have to be resolved in court.
The condition of the seized dogs is currently unknown, though Bowden described them as “pretty matted” on the day of the search. Spokanimal staff transported the dogs to their shelter in Spokane, placing them in crates with towels and padding.
The situation came to the attention of city authorities in May 2023 after neighbors complained about the unusually high number of dogs. Electric City’s code allows a maximum of four dogs per household, but despite several citations and fines, Doughty did not comply. Code compliance administrator Tasha Enochs eventually began contacting animal rescues throughout the state for guidance.
The October 4 seizure is not the first time animals have been removed from Doughty’s care. On September 10, after extensive coaxing, Doughty voluntarily surrendered 15 dogs to the Animal Rescue Friends Society (ARFS) of Grand County, based in Ephrata. Two of those dogs, which were pregnant, died during labor, along with most of their newborn puppies. Rescue staff noted that the dogs had been in poor condition, severely matted with feces and requiring extensive grooming.
“Both mama dogs died during labor. One mama … had a severe infection that we feel was passed onto the pups (3),” wrote Shannon Jasman, a transfer coordinator from Okandogs, a Cashmere-based animal rescue. “We do feel that there is an environmental reason for two mamas to die in very similar circumstances.”
Bowden explained that the condition of the September surrender gave him enough evidence to request a search warrant, which was granted by Grant County District Court on October 1.
Now, with police having filed the charge, it is up to the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office to determine whether Doughty will face formal charges of animal cruelty. Under Washington state law, second-degree animal cruelty occurs when an owner knowingly or negligently fails to provide necessary care, resulting in unnecessary physical pain for the animal.
Source: Grand Coulee Star
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