At least 20 dead canines wash ashore in Skagit County, WA

GUEMES ISLAND, Wash. - Animal control officials in Skagit County have spent several days finding and recovering dead canines washing ashore, mostly on Guemes Island. 

At least 20 bodies have been removed from the shore or waterways in the area and transported to local veterinarians to determine their exact cause of death. Their office will use DNA testing to determine if the canines are domestic dogs or not.

Comments from community members on social media allege some, or all, of the canines were skinned, making it difficult to identify the species and/or breeds of the animals. FOX 13 has reached out to the Skagit County Sheriff's Office for confirmation on this development.

The backstory:

The disturbing discoveries began back on Mar. 26. This is when the SCSO reported finding six dead canines in the Guemes Island area. 

Over the next several days, five more carcasses were found, bringing the total to 11. Then, on Mar. 31, one more canine was found floating in the La Conner channel.

By Apr. 1, the bodies were officially submitted to a local veterinarian's office for forensic necropsy. The DNA tests were sent to a Florida facility and officials in Skagit County say they expect results in 2-3 weeks. 

On Friday morning, Apr. 3, Lieutenant Steven Dills with SCSO said their teams found an additional eight bodies on Thursday, bringing the death count to 20.

Guemes Island, Washington (Source: Chris L on Yelp)

What they're saying:

"Results from those examinations are pending and will assist investigators in determining the origin and cause of death. At this time, there is no additional information available. The investigation remains ongoing," says Lt. Dills.

What you can do:

Anyone with information related to these incidents is encouraged to contact the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office or Skagit 911 to speak with a deputy or Animal Control Officer.

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