Washington
State Laws
RCW 28A.150.211 Values and traits recognized.
RCW 28A.230.020 Common school curriculum.
“All teachers shall stress the importance of the cultivation of manners, the fundamental principles of honesty, honor, industry and economy, the minimum requisites for good health including the beneficial effect of physical exercise and methods to prevent exposure to and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, and the worth of kindness to all living creatures and the land.” (Source)
Reported Animal Abuse Cases
The Columbian reported that a Battle Ground High School senior was arrested and charged with multiple counts of cruelty to animals for allegedly shooting squirrels with blow darts in Lewisville Regional Park in late 2025. Several wounded squirrels were apparently discovered at the park: one attempting to eat with a dart penetrating their jaw, another with a dart embedded in their neck, and a third confined with a dart lodged between their back and shoulder blades. According to police, the teen apparently admitted to shooting the squirrels with blow darts as well as darting animals at other locations, an issue that has reportedly terrorized Clark County for over a year. Notably, he allegedly told investigators that he “enjoys killing small animals,” and officials are reportedly calling this case “particularly cruel and deliberate.”
Spokesman.com reported that a 17-year-old had been charged with arson, domestic violence, and two counts of cruelty to animals after allegedly setting fire to a mobile home, killing a dog and a cat.
The Bellingham Herald reported that a 16-year-old boy was convicted of felony cruelty to animals for apparently beating and sexually abusing one of his family’s cats on surveillance video. In the first video clip presented at trial, the teen can allegedly be seen sexually assaulting the feline, thrusting his groin into the cat for an apparent 19 minutes as the cat can be heard crying out in tones that a veterinarian testified to hearing made by felines in “severe medical pain, especially with a blocked urethra,” or who had been hit by a car. The veterinarian also testified that the cat molested in the video appeared “strangely passive,” suggesting that past abuse may have conditioned the animal’s response. The second video presented at trial was allegedly timestamped for 2 hours after the previous assault and apparently showed the boy slamming one of the cats into the couch and banging the animal’s head against the wall. Upon reviewing the footage, Superior Court Commissioner Martha Gross reportedly stated that she saw the boy “hitting, slamming, choking, smothering, swinging a body by the neck” and that he “tortured that cat, for an extended period of time.”
People.com reported that a 16-year-old boy had been arrested and charged with felony cruelty to animals after allegedly setting a cat on fire. The teen allegedly doused the cat with butane before setting him ablaze. Police arrived to find the animal “writhing in pain” with extensive burns on his back, tail, and head. The cat reportedly had to be euthanized because of the severity of his injuries.
TDN.com reported that a teenager had pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals and been ordered to pay restitution for skinning and killing a neighbor’s companion goat. The animal’s mutilated body was reportedly discovered by neighborhood children.
BellinghamHerald.com reported that a 16-year-old had been charged with felony cruelty to animals after torturing his family’s cat. The teen had allegedly been caught on video hitting the cat’s head against the wall and slamming him into a couch, among other acts of violence, as the animal screamed in pain.
Q13Fox.com reported that a 15-year-old boy had been charged with multiple counts of cruelty to animals after allegedly killing one dog and injuring two others. According to reports, the boy broke the neck of one 5-week-old puppy, and his aunt’s two other dogs were found with significant bruising around their eyes and other parts of their bodies.
St. George News reported that a teenage boy was under investigation by authorities concerning a case involving a cat who was impaled by an arrow. The feline, now named Quiver, was reportedly found beneath a bush along a park trail, apparently with an arrow shot through the face, narrowly missing her brain, and exiting through her left shoulder blade. Quiver reportedly sustained significant injuries to her tongue and mouth, in addition to a lacerated esophagus, as a result of the attack. The teen suspect was allegedly reported to police by the public, and the case has been forwarded to the juvenile court system.
The Columbian reported that three boys−Mitchell S. Kangas, 16; Jaren M. Koistinen, 16; and Riley J. Munger, 17−were arrested for allegedly shooting more than 100 cats over the course of two months. Apparently, the teens were apprehended after the guardian of a 7-year-old cat named Nellie, called the police to report that Nellie had been shot in the face by a group traveling in a blue SUV. Authorities reportedly located the SUV with the boys inside, along with a .22-caliber rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Reportedly, Kangas admitted to authorities that he had shot 10 cats that evening and dozens of others in the months prior, listing at least 50 cats, two dogs, and a deer he’d shot before his arrest. Investigators allege that between 100 and 200 cats may have been shot and killed by the teens in similar “joyriding” attacks. According to court documents, all three boys later pleaded guilty.