Packed crowd begs Pasco to save 2 troubled shelter dogs from euthanasia
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Dozens of rescuers urged Pasco council to spare two shelter dogs from euthanasia.
- TCAS policy comes from an interlocal agreement among Pasco, Kennewick and Richland.
- Another rescue agreed to foster Stan on Tuesday the 23rd.
Dozens of dog advocates filled every seat in the Pasco City Council chambers Monday night, wearing shirts that read “Animal Lives Matter,” as they urged council members to prevent the euthanasia of Russ and Stan.
The two dogs, both under 3 years old, have been at the shelter operated by Tri-Cities Animal Services for about a year.
During the meeting, seven volunteers, some of whom have developed close bonds with the dogs by regularly taking them on walks, stepped forward one by one to ask city officials to give the dogs a chance at rehabilitation.
A pet rescue in the Tri-Cities has arranged for both dogs to enter a board-and-train program at The Good Dog Way company, in Seattle, with their transfer scheduled for July 13. The Gig Harbor business charges thousands of dollars to transform a dog’s behavior, no matter the dog’s size, breed or problem, says it’s website.
The problem is that the shelter – now governed jointly by Pasco, Kennewick and Richland – has a set procedure and deadline for handling troubled dogs like Russ and Stan. Tuesday was the deadline to have them removed from the shelter, or they would be euthanized.
The advocates pleaded with city officials to allow the dogs to remain at the shelter until July 13.
“I know Stan and Rusty very well. They are two of my favorites,” said Rob Di Piazza, a shelter volunteer for 2 1/2 years. “They don’t exhibit any issues with most of the volunteers or the staff there. There is a mention that it’s safer for them not to be at the shelter. They’ve been there for in excess of a year. The safest place for them, honestly, is the shelter right now (until they can be transferred).”
But city and shelter officials painted a different picture.
For about a year, both dogs were available for adoption by the public. But their chances of finding permanent homes were derailed after Russ, a light-brown American pitbull terrier mix, bit a veterinarian. Stan, a black-and-white border collie mix, has bitten six people, including volunteers and shelter staff.
The city determined the dogs posed a danger to public safety. Officials notified rescue organizations that they had 10 days to remove Russ and Stan from the shelter before the dogs would be euthanized. The deadline expired June 23, though there was no euthanasia appointment scheduled.
“I’ve actually have over five dogs from Tri-City Animal Control, including two that were scheduled for euthanasia,” dog rescue Christy Kessler told city officials during the workshop session. “One was misdiagnosed as a neurological issue. She is running and playing with dogs in my yard. It’ll be two years in November ... I’ve also got a little old lady who the shelter said they couldn’t touch, and she lives with a lot of other dogs.”
Russ and Stan rehabilitation plan
Jessica Bolyard, founder of S’more Dogs Rescue, said the best option for both Stan and Russ is to remain at the shelter until their board-and-train program begins, arguing that another move could worsen their behavioral issues.
“It’s not fair to the dogs to pull them in a potentially unstable, unfamiliar foster home, and then again move them in two or three weeks to board-and-train for their stability,” she told the Tri-City Herald. “The shelter is not currently full, according to multiple volunteers and video events, so space should not be the deciding factor at this time.”
Because of that, Bolyard asked Pasco council members to make an exception to the 10-day policy for “Non-standard Adoption Dogs.”
However, Pasco City Attorney Drew Pollom explained at the meeting that because Tri-Cities Animal Services functions under an interlocal agreement with the other cities, it can’t unilaterally change a policy and extend the 10 days.
“Any city has the authority to overrule the policies set by the management committee,” he said. “But what they can do through its participation on that board is advocate for change.”
On Tuesday afternoon, City Manager Harold Stewart announced that Pit Bull Pen animal rescue was allowed to take Stan from the shelter earlier that morning.
However, he maintained his opposition to allowing Russ to remain at the shelter until the transfer to Gig Harbor.
“I consider Rusty to be a danger to the public and to people that have custody of him,” Stewart said as dozens of upset advocates interrupted him, voicing their opposition.
“I understand and appreciate the passion of advocating for animals, but who’s representing the staff and the people that are getting bitten? … There’s also been several near misses, and these create damage to people, so that is why these policies are in place,” he said.
But on Tuesday afternoon he told city staff in an email that S’more Dogs Rescue was allowed to take Russ from the shelter on Tuesday.
Attorney Pollom said Monday night that if an outside organization wanted to foster Russ, the city would need to evaluate the potential liability it could face if he bites someone again. It was unclear on Tuesday how that issue was resolved.
Final push to save Rus from euthanasia
Bolyard said rescuers plan to attend a Kennewick City Council meeting on Tuesday evening to push for a change to the 10-day policy, as well as some other shelter practices they believe are harmful to dogs housed there.
William Lambert, a dog trainer, told the council on Monday that the shelter’s evaluators only caused further harm to Russ and Stan by imposing behavioral restrictions on them.
“I do believe change needs to be made, and it needs to happen quickly, because lives are on the line and countless lives have been before them,” he said.
“No wonder they bite people, especially people who don’t have their guard up or the right energy with them,” Bolyard said.
Currently, the dogs are only able to leave the shelter when volunteers take them for walks.
They don’t have a designated area to relieve themselves and spend their days in small kennels, she claimed.
“There should be an oversight committee to monitor the things that are happening at the shelter,” she said. “There’s a lot of people who were there today that have seen and dealt with many issues before me that still haven’t seen change. It’s time for things to get in a positive direction.”
Stewart acknowledged the policies could be improved and said Pasco plans to discuss potential changes with representatives from the other cities on the next animal shelter board meeting.
This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 3:35 PM.
