LYNNWOOD — Ernest Gola, from Renton, suffered deep physical and emotional injuries May 14 after two pit bull dogs attacked him in the Goodwill thrift store parking lot in Lynnwood.
According to Lynnwood Police reports, the two owners of the dogs, a 40-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, were in the store at the time of the attack. The owners heard the commotion outside the store, secured the dogs inside their van and then apparently walked away without talking to the victim or police.
Gola, had multiple puncture wounds on both forearms and an abrasion and possible puncture wound on his chest and upper back. Gola said he was walking to his vehicle with his 18-year-old daughter, who lives in Edmonds, when all of a sudden the barking dogs pushed their way through a cracked side window and attacked him.
“It was a warm day and the owners of those dogs left them in the hot van with the window just cracked— this was the beginning of the problem,” Gola said. “It affects their minds.”
Gola, 60, said he tried to fight off the dogs and run away but the dogs pursued him and continued attacking.
“It was very scary— turned me off on dogs,” said Gola, whose wife happens to run a petsitting service. “It’s the closest to death I ever came —the claw marks alone on my chest are so deep and I’m black and blue, they’re vicious dogs.”
Gola’s daughter wasn’t hurt and was able to get away to the front of the store to get help. In the meantime Gola made his way to the back of the store, at 4027 198th Street SW, where a Goodwill employee let him in through an employee entrance, he said.
Lynnwood Fire Department aid units responded and treated the man. Gola had his daughter take him to Stevens Hospital. Animal Control Officer Paul Coleman and Sgt. Rod Cohnheim also responded.
According to police reports, later, a woman, who said she was the daughter of the dogs’ owners, called police and told them the couple fled because they were afraid of being arrested for outstanding warrants.
Gola said if he had a choice of leaving his dogs or going to jail, he would leave the dogs too.
According to police officials there were no outstanding warrants found on the couple.
Coleman also talked to a man who came with the couple from the Everett Goodwill store. The man told Coleman he didn’t know the couple but rode with them in their van to the store and implied the couple was homeless. He said the attack surprised him because the dogs were friendly to him while he rode in the back of the van with them.
The man helped Coleman remove the dogs from the van, petting them and putting leashes on each one.
The dogs appeared friendly until they were out of the van and heading to the animal control van with one becoming very aggressive, Coleman said in his report.
The dogs were taken to PAWS animal shelter in Lynnwood and quarantined. The dogs were declared as “dangerous dogs” and Coleman suggested if the owners didn’t come forward by the end of the quarantine time, the dogs should be euthanized.
Although the couple hasn’t come forward, they could face gross misdemeanor, charges, according to the prosecutor’s office.
It was all very traumatic, Gola said, “and the (Lynnwood fire firefighters) and Officer Coleman were all so very good and professional, I thank them and the employees at Goodwill so much.”
Gola said now he will watch his wounds heal and be extra careful around dogs.
He added, he wanted others to know you have to be careful with dogs— you can’t just go by looks.”
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