Gold Bar man shoots, kills attacking dog

A man shot and killed a dog that attacked him after he tried to intervene in an argument between two women on Saturday.

The 26-year-old Gold Bar resident had not been with either the 35-year-old woman or 18-year-old woman before their dispute turned into a fistfight, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Shari Ireton.

He yelled at them to stop, and the dog jumped from one of the women's cars, according to the sheriff's office, biting him on the leg. Ireton said it is believed the altercation was related to drug use.

911 calls came in around 5 p.m. that night, Ireton said. People were reporting that they heard shots fired and women screaming in the 600 block of Croft Avenue, or U.S. Highway 2, she said.

Ireton said the man was within his rights to use protection against the dog that attacked him.

“That is perfectly legal,” she said. “He will not be facing any criminal charges.”

The man drove himself to the hospital to receive treatment for his injuries, she said. 

Gold Bar municipal code requires dogs to be on a leash at all times when not on the owner's property, with few exceptions.