Owner of pit bulls that mauled SeaTac woman faces felony charges

The owner of two pit bulls that mauled an elderly SeaTac woman in September, leaving her with a number of injuries, was charged today with possession of a dangerous dog, a felony.

Huong Le, 72, was on her way back from walking her granddaughter to a school bus stop when she was attacked around 8:15 a.m. Sept. 8. She suffered severed ears, a crushed arm and deep, gaping bite wounds from her head to her feet

Travis Cunningham, 36, who owned the two dogs, lives on South 152nd Street, about two blocks from Le. Prosecutors have also charged him with one count of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a stolen firearm.

If convicted on all three charges, Cunningham faces almost 13 years in prison.

A neighbor who witnessed the attack called 911 and grabbed a pitchfork in an attempt to help Le. When King County sheriff's deputies arrived the animals were still attacking the woman. The deputies shot and killed the male dogs.

The dogs, named "Big Guy" and "Rim Shot," had been picked up by animal control officers in May for running loose in the 15400 block of International Boulevard in SeaTac.

After the attack, Cunningham told investigators that he didn't know the dogs to be aggressive, but he said they didn't like men, according to court charging documents.

Eric John Makus, who was raised by Le and regards her as his adopted mother, said Le is struggling in her recovery but is confident she'll also be happy with the news.

"You have to give a lot of credit to the detective and the prosecuting attorney for conducting an exhaustive investigation in pursuit of justice," Makus said this morning. "Let this be the shining symbol to dog owners if they don't comply with the laws to keep their animals fenced and muzzled."

The attack prompted some to propose banning the breed. Makus said he plans to talk with legislators about a statewide breed ban.

"It's unpopular, it's extreme, but it's necessary to protect public safety," Makus said.

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