Dogs abused during training
Portland, OR (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Apr 2, 1997
County: Multnomah

Disposition: Not Charged

Person of Interest: Stephen Barry King

Multnomah County Animal Control is investigating allegations that King abuses dogs. The Washington County District Attorney's Office is also investigating a claim that King assaulted a Beaverton Women who criticized his strong-arm training techniques.

King claims that in November 1996 he started receiving death threats so he now carries a loaded 40-caliber gun. The Clackamas Country Sheriff's office says King does not have a concealed-weapons permit and is breaking the law.

King blames his problems on overzealous animal advocates. However King's detractors cannot all be dismissed as rabid lunatics on the animal liberation fringe. They include people like a former assistant Kristin Beck, a Lake Grove veterinarian as well as some prominent public figures such as former Washington County Commissioner Lucille Warren, former US Attorney and internationally known animal trainer Brian Kilcommons.

In 1995 King became best known for his work with a Rottweiler mix named Pookie who animal control put on death row for biting a child who had been teasing him. ("Death Row Dog," Willamette Week, 10/25/95). King's evaluation helped spare Pookie's life. King stayed on at the shelter as a volunteer trainer.

King's current problems go back to the summer of 1991, when Janet Kyle Zeider signed her dog up for weekly group training sessions that King offered at the recommendation of her veterinarian. Zeider states that during the 4 sessions King became increasingly agitated and ended up attacking a Burmese Mountain dog puppy. The dog was screaming and King has both hands on the leash and was jerking the dog hard to the right and left and holding him up in the air. The dog was fighting for his life, biting at the choke chain, trying to get free, Zeider states "she will never forget it".

King became frustrated with Zeider's own Schnauzer, Izzi. The dog did not lie down fast enough upon being given Kings command so he took her leash away from Zeider, held it close to her collar, and smashed her face down on the concrete floor.

Kristin Beck states that King beat the Burmese Mountain dog puppy so badly that it "shit all over himself and was bleeding all over the floor". Beck advised everyone that had his or her dogs at the training session to leave. King became furious and when Beck and King went outside he shoved her against a wall. Beck never returned to work for King.

Zeider battle to bring King to justice took several years. She first reported him to the Better Business Bureau, called the County Commissioner and animal control with little response. She then contacted the law firm of Turner and Frasch, who were working to curb abusive trainers. In June 1996 she placed an ad in "The Oregonian" asking for those with similar experiences with King to come forward. More than 30 people responded.

Kevin Kelly, The Washington Country Deputy District Attorney investigated a claim by Darlene and Gary Dick against King but did not bring charges against King. Kelly stated that the veterinarian who treated the Dick's dog Spencer wouldn't state that King caused the dog's injuries. Lawyer Turner stated that veterinarians often don't want to link injuries with abuse.

Police records show that between 1989 and 1991, King had several run-ins with local police: complaints of menacing, a family disturbance, an altercation with a neighbor, a restraining order filed by his ex-wife and on April 9, 1991 a SWAT team surrounded King with guns and grabbed him for threatening to shoot his pregnant ex-wife Brenda Carruthers.

Linda Allen of Portland, Oregon, one of a number of cruelty investigation complainants, witnessed in October 1997 an example of King's training methods. Linda was watching TV in her home when she heard, "a choking, gagging sound. I looked out the window to see this man with a puppy (6 month old Rottweiler) on a leash, hanging it about 8 – 10 inches off the ground. At that point I became very concerned about that pup. Then the trainer set the pup back on the ground, the pup immediately laid down. The trainer jerked him up off the ground and screamed at the pup to sit down. About that time another neighbour came running towards him, yelling, 'leave that dog alone'. The trainer handed or dropped the leash and started stamping towards my neighbour, yelling and reaching into his back pocket. He pulled a wallet out, flipped it open screaming, 'I am a f***ing cop. Get out of my face or I'll f*** you up, I'll kill you.' Two other neighbours were standing in their driveway looking at the confrontation. The trainer then turned to them and yelled, 'you want some of this, come on I'll kick your asses too. I could kill you too.'" King is not a policeman and has never been a policeman.

References

• The Willamette Week
• The Oregonian
• The Oregon Humane Society
• Washington County Sheriff's Office

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