SEATTLE — King County has agreed to pay $21.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a woman attacked by dogs in Auburn in 2022, after a judge ruled it was the county’s responsibility to enforce municipal codes regarding dogs that pose a danger to the public.
The Auburn woman, 38, was jogging in her neighborhood when she was mauled by two dogs that ran from the front yard of a neighboring house. According to court filings, the dogs dragged her across the street, and she had more than 20 surgeries over the next couple of years due to her injuries. She had several broken bones.
Before the mauling, neighbors made more than 75 calls to county departments complaining about the dogs, the property and the owners’ alleged criminal activity. The lawsuit alleges the home where the dogs lived was a