2 men who tied dog to tree and shot it are charged

Two men who allegedly tied a dog to a tree and then shot the animal and left it for dead near North Bend last month have been charged with first-degree animal cruelty by King County prosecutors.

Their criminal mistake, prosecutors said, was in failing to make sure the dog had been killed.

According to charges filed on Tuesday, the dog's owner, Travis L. Hedin, 25, of North Bend, and his father, Terrance L. Hedin, 53, of Tukwila, wanted to put down the male Rottweiler because the dog had bitten the younger man's wife several times within two months.

According to prosecutors, the two drove out to a wooded area near North Bend and tied the dog to a tree near a steep embankment on May 31.

The father allegedly told his son to "start shooting and don't stop until the dog is dead," charging documents alleged. The father also allegedly emptied his own gun into the dog.

The dog fell over the embankment when he was shot, prosecutors said, but neither man climbed down the embankment to make sure the dog was dead.

The dog was later found by four young men who called King County Animal Care and Control.

The dog, who was named Maynard, was found to have been struck by three bullets. He had to be euthanized by Animal Control several days later because he was in pain and paralyzed, prosecutors said.

"These two defendants did a particularly pathetic job of trying to euthanize their pet," said King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, who helped write the law that makes cruelty to animals a Class C felony punishable by up to one year in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Satterberg said it is legal for pet owners to euthanize an animal provided that it is done humanely.

"If you do try to take matters into your own hands, you have a responsibility to do it right and in such a manner that does not cause undue suffering," Satterberg said.

By not confirming the dog's death, prosecutors said, the men inflicted unnecessary pain and suffering on the dog.

According to Pasado's Safe Haven, one of the men turned himself in after learning that the dog had not died and that Pasado's was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Both defendants are out of custody pending their arraignments on July 7 at the King County Courthouse.

Neither of them is eligible for the reward, according to Pasado's.

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com