‘Everybody loved him’: Seattle dog owner devastated after pit bull fatally shot
Mar 18, 2025, 4:49 PM | Updated: Mar 21, 2025, 9:31 am
A Seattle dog owner is mourning the loss of her beloved pit bull. (Photo courtesy of owner Mya Tarter)
(Photo courtesy of owner Mya Tarter)
A Seattle dog owner — whose pup was shot and killed on First Hill last week — is speaking out for the first time.
Mya Tarter said a friend took her pit bull terrier, Bones, for a walk while she slept.
Seattle police said while out on that walk, Bones got into a fight with another pit bull. When they couldn’t separate the dogs, the other dog’s owner pulled out a gun and shot Bones once in the back.
He died a short time later. Tarter said her friend tried to explain what happened.
“He says he didn’t know where Bones was and that a man showed up with a gun and was firing shots, and he didn’t know if Bones was alive or not,” Tarter said.
She shared that Bones was one of the friendliest pit bulls one could ever meet. He was well known in the neighborhood and always sweet.
“He was a gentle giant, and everybody loved him,” Tarter said. “He was amazing, and I cannot believe I will never see him again. I can’t believe someone shot him in the back.”
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The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is continuing to investigate the incident but said charges are not likely. The man who shot Bones has a concealed carry permit and is cooperating with the investigation.
The man told police he was walking his dog near the corner of 9th and Marion when another dog, off leash, attacked his dog. When attempts to separate the dogs were unsuccessful, the man drew his gun and fired a single shot.
Washington law (RCW- 1608020) allows for someone to shoot a dog in self-defense or in defense of a domestic pet if the dog is chasing, biting, injuring or killing that animal.
“It sounds like this man was acting in self-defense of his dog being injured or killed,” SPD Detective Eric Munoz said.
Related from MyNorthwest: Charges unlikely for man who shot and killed attacking dog in Seattle
Seattle dog owner mourns loss of precious pit bull
Meanwhile, Tarter is still processing the death of her beloved pup.
“We’re all in shock and can’t believe he’s gone,” she said. “My life was just getting back together after going through a domestic violence relationship. We were on our way to getting our feet back on the ground and getting our lives back together.”
Along with coping with the death of her dog, Tarter also has to shoulder the expense of getting Bones cremated — money she said she doesn’t have.
A fundraiser through was created to help with the fees accrued for the emergency animal transport, emergency veterinary hospital, euthanizing, cremation, and other expenses.
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