Seattle Man charged with beating dog with hammer

A 49-year-old Seattle man has been charged with first-degree animal cruelty for attempting to kill his dog with a hammer.

Kirk D. Frazier told animal-control investigators that he did not intend for the animal to suffer, but simply wanted to kill it by "beating his dog with a hammer," according to charges filed on Monday in King County Superior Court

The mixed-breed dog, named Pretzel, apparently escaped and was found by a woman in the 1200 block of South Southern Street. The animal was taken to a veterinarian and euthanized.

According to King County prosecutors, Frazier said the dog had bitten his wife and attacked the family's other dog on Sept. 14. Frazier told investigators that he grabbed a shotgun and hit Pretzel on the head three times, causing the dog to collapse, charging papers allege.

Thinking the dog was dead, Frazier left its body by his garbage cans and then went to bed, according to court documents.

In the morning, however, Pretzel was still alive and was standing by Frazier's car, wagging his tail and "indicating that he wanted to go for a ride," court documents say.

Frazier put the dog and a hammer inside a plastic bag, tied it shut, put the bag in his car and drove to work, charging documents say. He reportedly told investigators he intended to "finish" Pretzel off when he got to work at Graham Trucking in the 700 block of South Chicago Street in Seattle.

When Frazier arrived at work, he hit the dog with the hammer several times, charging documents say, and the dog began screaming.

According to court documents, Frazier left the dog to go inside. When he returned, the dog was gone.

Frazier's co-workers called police.

Graham Trucking's safety director, Jordon Haguewood, said Frazier was fired the day after the incident.

Reached at home, Frazier's wife — who asked not to be named — said the dog was a mixed-breed stray they had found by the side of the road. Although the dog's breed was not a certainty, she said, "the vet thought he might have some pit bull in him."

A conviction of first-degree animal cruelty carries a penalty of up to one year in jail.

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