Dog beaten to death at Seattle kennel by ex-employee, suspect faces animal cruelty charges

A former Ballard kennel employee is facing animal cruelty charges after he allegedly killed a dog by beating it to death.

According to a report from the Seattle Police Department (SPD) obtained by MyNorthwest, the employee, Dejean Cornelius Bowens, became irritated after a black lab, named Mitch, knocked something over while at the Lazy Dog Crazy Dog boarding facility in Ballard on Aug. 3. Bowens allegedly “lost control” and kicked the dog multiple times.

“His response was to brutally kick Mitch and continued to punch and kick, and unfortunately, it resulted in the death of this poor pet,” said Douglas Wagoner with the King County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to court documents obtained by MyNorthwest, another employee at the kennel, Nicholas Slater, received a frantic call from Bowens at approximately 4:40 a.m., crying, saying, “I messed up bad. I’m freaking out. Can you get down here now?”

Slater arrived at the facility shortly after, where Bowens repeatedly told him, “I f***ed up” before admitting that he kicked the dog.

Mitch suffered from internal bleeding after the attack. According to the police report, Mitch was unable to stand once he was brought to a veterinary clinic. Vet staff attempted five rounds of CPR, but ultimately declared that the dog had died. Mitch’s abdomen was full of blood, the veterinarians told SPD. The emergency vet clinic also stated Mitch’s kidneys may have been ruptured during the assault.

“This was a brutal attack on the pet of another, simply because the animal knocked something over during his stay at a boarding kennel,” Leesa Manion, the prosecuting attorney, wrote, according to court documents obtained by MyNorthwest. “Mitch sought shelter from the defendant’s attack, but the defendant continued to follow Mitch. The abuse ultimately led to Mitch’s death. Concerning to the state is the defendant’s extreme response to an animal tipping something over.”

The attack SPD happened around 4 a.m., but Mitch wasn’t brought to a veterinarian clinic until approximately 5:45 a.m.

“According to the vet who performed CPR on the dog, there would have been a greater chance of saving its life had it been brought in for medical attention sooner,” Wagoner told KIRO Newsradio.

“We are heartbroken and outraged by what happened,” Lazy Dog Crazy Dog said in a prepared statement. “The actions of this former employee are in complete violation of our values, our mission, and the standard of care we’ve upheld for over 16 years while serving tens of thousands of dogs. We continue to support law enforcement and hope that justice is served for the dog.”

Dejean Cornelius Bowens pleaded not guilty to first-degree animal cruelty in King County Superior Court on Monday. Mitch’s owners, Anthony and Neela Brocato, were in court for Monday’s hearing.

“We are just really determined to get justice for Mitch,” Neela told KIRO 7. “He deserves justice, and we want to make sure that this never happens to any other dog.”

Neela gave birth to the couple’s first child on July 31, and they were planning to pick up Mitch on Aug. 3. The couple had used the Lazy Dog Crazy Dog boarding facility over the past few years with no issue before.

Bowens’ next court appearance is set for Nov. 26. He does not have any prior criminal convictions.

Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.