Target: Jim Nagle, Prosecuting Attorney, Walla Walla County, Washington
Goal: Secure the harshest felony animal-cruelty charges and lifelong animal-ownership bans for all individuals allegedly responsible for the deaths and neglect of pets found in an apartment strewn with carcasses and filth.
Authorities entered a local apartment after a neighbor complained of an overpowering stench and months-long absence of the occupants. Inside, officers and wildlife agents allegedly discovered two frantic, starving dogs pacing through layers of trash, dried feces, and the decomposing remains of cats and birds. Three caged birds were apparently still alive but had no food or water, while countless others were found dead alongside scattered bones and fur.
Investigators say the scene was so extreme that city leadership publicly expressed outrage, calling the suffering “beyond comprehension.” Yet no cruelty charges have been announced. Without decisive legal action, the alleged deaths of these animals—and trauma endured by those who survived—may never receive the justice they deserve.
Washington law classifies prolonged deprivation of food, water, or necessary care as felony animal cruelty. Applying the maximum penalties, including full restitution for rescue and cleanup costs and permanent prohibitions on owning animals, is essential to deter similar neglect and honor the lives lost in this horrifying case.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Prosecutor Nagle,
Police and wildlife officers reportedly found a nightmarish scene inside a College Place apartment: two emaciated dogs scrambling over heaps of garbage, multiple dead cats and birds decomposing on the floor, and three living birds without any food or water. According to official reports, the floor was coated in dried waste, and bones and fur littered the rooms—evidence of prolonged, fatal neglect.
Community members had sounded the alarm after saying they endured foul odors and heard desperate barking for weeks. The agony these animals allegedly endured—starvation, dehydration, and confinement among carcasses—meets the statutory threshold for felony animal cruelty under Washington law.
We respectfully urge your office to file and pursue the most serious felony charges available against every responsible party, seek court-ordered restitution for all rescue and medical expenses, require psychological counseling, and impose lifetime bans on possessing animals. A vigorous prosecution will send a clear message that such extreme neglect will not be tolerated and will help prevent future tragedies.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Charlie Boy Criscola
