BY PEPPER FISHER
Sequim – There was a tragic accident on Highway 101 near Sequim Monday night when a driver struck a crate full of puppies that was sitting in the middle of the roadway.
Trooper Katherine Weatherwax said that after the crash, which was near Boyce Road west of Sequim, two of the Pyrenees/Malamute mix puppies escaped and ran away, one puppy was dead on the scene, and two puppies were taken to a veterinarian with broken bones. Weatherwax says the person who lost the crate didn’t realize it until they got to their destination.
“There was no vehicle on scene, but later, we were able to get ahold of the owner. Well, they did realize later that there was no more crate on their car, and they went back to look, but they didn’t go far enough. So, right now we’re figuring out what the charges would be, and we’re going to talk to the owner. But right now, two dogs are in the veterinarian care, and two dogs are outstanding.”
Remarkably, the crate that fell into the roadway was larger than the car that struck it, making it astonishing that the puppy’s owner didn’t know they had lost their load. Weatherwax said the man was moving a load of stuff from Port Gamble to the Port Angeles area when the homemade kennel fell off the truck.
The driver who hit the kennel is Stella Harpole of Port Angeles.
“It was very dark and stormy. It was in a very unlit area. So there’s no seeing, you know, any of it. And I looked up and there was this giant crate in the middle of the road. I didn’t have time to stop. I didn’t have time to go around it, and I just plowed right through the object, whatever it is, and it was scary. I’ve pulled over right away, and all I could hear, as soon as I got out of the car, was the piercing sound of the puppies crying.”
As for the puppies that survived, Mel Marshall from Welfare for Animals Guild gave us an update.
“They were taken to AETC in Poulsbo, the emergency clinic, and then from there, they were actually transferred to Kitsap Humane, where I’ve been told they’ve had surgery and are recovering.”
One of the two that ran off was found near Sunny Farms and is in the care of a local vet with a possible broken pelvis. No word on the other one.
Trooper Weatherwax said the owner of the puppies has been ticketed for having an unsecured load, but that no criminal charges will be filed because it was unintentional.
Meanwhile, Harpole’s car was so damaged she is forced to drive a rental. And while she has insurance, she’s not satisfied with how the situation is playing out.
“I was just told, just a little bit ago, that, you know, this gentleman does not have insurance. All the trooper told me that he would be getting his a fine for the unsecured load. And I don’t think that’s fair. I don’t think that’s enough. I just feel like there has to be some more accountability for this gentleman, you know. It’s not fair to me, it’s not fair to these puppies, it’s not fair to the people who are having to pay out of their pocket to get these puppies taken care of.”
We’ll update this story as more information becomes available.
(WSP photos)