A bus driver was injured this morning when he was attacked by two dogs this morning at Eckstein Middle School. Eckstein principal Kim Whitworth shared the details through a voicemail sent to all Eckstein families around 9:30 this morning:
“This morning, one of our bus drivers was walking the track when he was attacked by two dogs and suffered puncture wounds to his hands. Members of the Eckstein Staff were able to distract the dogs and assist the driver. Safety is our number one concern, so we called 911 and put the school on lockdown. Lockdown means all students and staff remain in their classrooms. Police officers arrived and were able to catch both dogs. “
No students or staff were injured and and they were able to return to the normal school schedule.
UPDATE (12:57 PM by Rebecca of Ravenna Blog): Talked briefly to North Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Terrie Johnston about the dog attack. Five officers were dispatched at 7:48 AM and arrived at the scene six minutes later. The dogs (one a boxer mix, the other a smaller breed) and their owner and another unassociated person were present. Both dogs were captured after the attack. The bus driver requested medical attention at the scene after police had arrived (Seattle Fire Real-Time 911 feed shows Engine 40 on an “aid Response” call to Eckstein Middle School’s address at 7:51 AM).
At this time, the legal fate of the owner and his dogs is unknown (Animal Control was not open yet at the time of the attack).
UPDATE (2:33 PM by Rebecca of Ravenna Blog): We have more information from Animal Control (part of the Seattle Animal Shelter). Both dogs (both a boxer/shepherd mix) had missing from their owners’ home since last night (Thursday night), and the owners had started postering the neighborhood today. The bus driver was on his second lap past the dogs when he was attacked by one of them. After capture by officers, the dogs were taken to Animal Control, where the owners were identified and contacted.
An off-leash citation is $54 per animal. An unprovoked bite citation is $269, and the attacking animal is held for 10 days.
