06/05/2026
🐶We thought that we should add to this post that Ralphie wasn't running completely loose. He had a wireless fence collar and was within his radius when he was shot. The few comments trying to target that Ralphie was not in an enclosed fence prompted us to clarify this. The owners didn’t want him running off, so until the fencing could be installed (the following week) Ralphie had a short radius that he could be within, her vehicle was outside of that range.
Many of you may remember Ralphie, the Boxer we trapped several months ago in Moses Lake.
It took 3½ weeks to safely catch him because several neighbors were feeding him. As long as food was readily available, Ralphie had no reason to enter the trap. Eventually, we convinced everyone that a few days of hunger was far better than spending the winter out in the cold, and we were finally able to bring him to safety.
Once caught, Ralphie’s foster family slowly began assessing his temperament. Before long, it became clear that he was a very good boy. Instead of transferring him to a Boxer rescue as originally planned, the family decided to adopt him themselves.
Ralphie settled in beautifully with their two Chocolate Labs and even their cat. He became part of the family.
The family didn’t have a fence because they had never needed one for their Labs, but after noticing Ralphie becoming protective of the property, they decided to invest in fencing to keep him secure. Construction was scheduled to begin within a week.
Sadly, Ralphie never got that chance.
Just days before the fence was to be installed, a package was delivered (1/6/26) to the home. Although one camera captured part of the incident, the driveway camera was unfortunately not working that day.
According to reports, the delivery driver had an encounter with Ralphie and was nipped on the leg twice. She returned safely to her vehicle and called 911. Instead of waiting for law enforcement to arrive, she called her husband. (Edit: per the 911 tape, she called her husband first and he told her to call 911, she confirmed that she was safe inside her vehicle)
Her husband arrived armed with a gun, a gun with a hollow point bullet.
Rather than allowing authorities to handle the situation, he shot Ralphie.
Neighbors alerted the owners that something was happening, and the husband raced home only to find his beloved dog dead.
The shooter later claimed he feared for his life and was protecting his wife. However, his wife was already secure inside her vehicle, and a clearly visible “NO TRESPASSING” sign was posted at the entrance to the property.
While we understand that Ralphie should have been secured and that a bite incident is serious, there are established legal procedures for handling dog bite cases. A private citizen taking it upon themselves to enter someone else’s property and kill a dog is not part of that process.
We believe this kind of vigilante action is unacceptable.
Grant County deputies investigated the incident but did not issue a citation, instead forwarding the case to the Prosecutor’s Office for review. After months of waiting for a decision, we have grown frustrated by the lack of resolution and have decided to make this case public.
We are asking concerned community members to respectfully contact the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office and request that this case be thoroughly reviewed. We believe Ralphie deserved due process, and we believe the laws protecting both people and animals should be applied fairly.
No matter where you stand on the circumstances surrounding the bite, no family should come home to find their pet shot and left to die when legal alternatives existed.
Grant County Prosecutor’s Office
📍 35 C Street NW, Ephrata, WA 98823
📬 P.O. Box 37, Ephrata, WA 98823
📞 Main Office: 509-754-2017
📠 Fax: 509-754-6574
🕒 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00 PM–5:00 PM.
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