PORT ANGELES — A 50-pound dog that bit an 11-year-old boy on his face, hands and arms on Wednesday may never be cuddled by a child in the future, police said Monday.
Police have decided the dog is too dangerous, Port Angeles Deputy Police Chief Brian Smith said Monday.
Police served a rare notice declaring the dog dangerous on Monday to the boy’s father, Matthew B. Sims, 38, at Clallam County jail, Deputy Chief Brian Smith said.
Sims has 10 days to app-eal the decision to Clallam County District Court.
Sims is confined on $100,000 bail for investigation of two counts of possession of stolen motor vehicles, one count of second-degree possession of stolen property and second degree criminal mistreatment, all felonies.
A hearing on charges that will be filed against Sims is at 1 p.m. today at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St.
Sims’ black Laborador mix, named Jack, is confined under 10-day quarantine at the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society shelter west of Port Angeles.
On Friday, police interviewed Sims’ son, James, who is recuperating in a foster home under the supervision of state Child Protective Services.
The boy had been left alone while his father allegedly went to Tacoma to steal a motorcycle, police said he told them.
Sims has legal custody of the boy, Smith said. The two moved to Port Angeles about three weeks ago.
James has no other family in the area, including his mother, Smith said.
“What I am told is that she is not part of the picture. I’ll just leave it at that,” he added.
“We would be very excited to have family here to help this young man.”
Smith said that, contrary to an earlier interview police conducted with James, the boy more recently told police that he was not trying to take a bone away from the dog when the dog mauled him but was instead in the area where the dog had the bone.
The dog was not provoked, as the boy did nothing more than walk by the dog, Smith said.
“From as much as we know, nothing that would be described as ‘taking away’ occurred,” Smith said.
“It was more a case of being in the proximity of the bone. The fact that this happened in a fairly innocuous setting would make the dog in any other innocuous setting a danger around people.”
The severity of the boy’s injuries also played into the department’s decision, Smith said.
Declaring a dog dangerous “is not something we normally do,” he said. “I’m told there are only a handful [of dangerous dog declarations] in the county.”
Owners of dogs classified as dangerous must:
• Securely confine the animal to prevent the entry of children while it is indoors or outdoors.
• Post the premises with a warning sign that informs children of the presence of a dangerous dog.
• Obtain a certificate and license and imbed the dog with an identifying microchip.
• Obtain a surety bond of at least $250,000, payable to anyone injured by the dog, or liability insurance of at least $250,000.
• Obtain a dangerous dog certificate and license when the above conditions are met.
• Equip the dog with a muzzle when it leaves the premises.
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Staff writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
