SEATTLE — A homeless camp in Seattle’s SoDo area where a woman was recently attacked by dogs was swept by a city navigation team Friday.
Business owners there have complained to the city about the homeless in the area of Sixth Avenue and Snoqualmie Street.
The clear-out was supposed to begin at 9 a.m., but before dawn, most of the motorhomes had left the area.
The woman who was attacked, business owner Leslie Shelton, said she was walking her dog last week when a woman who lives in an RV in the camp opened the door, and three dogs bounded out.
“She opened the door of the motor home, opened the door, her three dogs were right there and just came running, teeth bared," she said.
When Shelton moved to protect her dog, Lily, she was attacked.
“That's when the dogs started biting me, pulled me down to the ground, and then Lily was able to get away.”
Shelton said she is now scared and took her concerns to Seattle City council members and blamed the city's homeless crisis with exposing the SoDo neighborhood to danger.
The dog attack happened right before Seattle' mayor presented the new budget that calls for $89.5 million to fight homelessness.
That includes adding eight additional members to the navigation teams that not only shut down camps that are unsafe but find shelter for homeless people.
“Seattle City Council needs to get off their butts -- need to start protecting the citizens who actually make a difference in this community,” said Shelton.
The mayor's budget also includes money for permanent housing and to clean up garbage from encampments.
Cox Media Group
