Dead ponies' owner identified

A Snohomish County animal-welfare group said it has identified the owner of two ponies found shot to death on a rural trail near Snoqualmie on Friday.

Susan Michaels, co-founder of Pasado's Safe Haven, said four tips led them to a North Bend-area resident.

"The horse community is a small community," Michaels said. "Veterinarians and other horse owners know each other."

Michaels said her group's staff have talked to the woman who owns the nearly 20-year-old ponies and that the woman claims she "entrusted friends to euthanize the animals properly."

Michaels said a man and a woman were seen pulling a horse trailer into the area Wednesday night. It is unclear when the animals were killed.

The ponies' owner told Pasado's Safe Haven staff that the horses had been sick. Michaels said a necropsy will determine what they were suffering from and whether the animals died humanely.

King County Animal Control and the sheriff's office are investigating, Michaels said. It appears each horse died after being shot once in the head on a riding trail near Tokul Road Southeast, Michaels said.

She didn't release the name of the owner because an investigation is still ongoing.

It is not illegal in Washington to kill your own pet if it's done in a humane way. But if the ponies were killed in a way that caused them to suffer, prosecutors could file a felony animal-cruelty charge, which could result in up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Pasado's Safe Haven offered a $5,000 reward for tips leading to the owner's identification. Michaels said they haven't determined who will receive the money

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com