SEATTLE — A former Seattle kennel employee has been charged with first-degree animal cruelty after prosecutors say he brutally assaulted a dog under his care, resulting in the animal’s death.
Dejean Cornelius Bowens, 29, was formally charged on September 29 by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for the August 3 incident that occurred at Lazy Dog Crazy Dog, a dog boarding facility in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood.
According to court documents, Bowens allegedly became agitated after a black Labrador named Mitch knocked something over around 4:20 a.m. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Bowens kicking the dog multiple times and later punching him as the frightened animal tried to hide under a table.
Mitch was brought to Emerald City Emergency Clinic more than an hour later, where veterinarians found him unresponsive with internal bleeding and suspected kidney rupture. Despite several CPR attempts, the dog could not be revived. Staff stated Mitch might have survived had he received immediate medical attention.
Charging documents describe the incident as a “brutal attack on the pet of another, simply because the animal knocked something over.”
Witnesses told investigators that Bowens admitted to kicking the dog and later called a coworker, crying and saying, “I messed up bad, I kicked the dog.” Surveillance video from the kennel reportedly corroborates the assault.
Bowens, who has no prior criminal record, is not currently in custody. Prosecutors have requested $50,000 bail and a court order prohibiting him from owning or caring for animals.
The dog’s owners said they had boarded Mitch while preparing for the birth of their first child. They expected to pick him up the same morning they received the devastating call from the emergency vet.
In a public statement, Lazy Dog Crazy Dog said Bowens was immediately terminated following the incident, emphasizing that his actions were “in complete violation of our values and standards of care.”
The case remains under investigation by the Seattle Police Department.
