Longview police responded to the Cowlitz County Humane Society Tuesday after an armed person threatening suicide said they were dropping off their dogs.
Darren Ullmann, executive director at the Humane Society of Cowlitz County, said Cowlitz 911 told staff Tuesday afternoon the individual was armed and heading to their facility at 909 Columbia Blvd., Longview.
Longview Police Department spokesperson Capt. Branden McNew said the incident occurred at about 1:20 p.m.
Only a few minutes passed between the call and person’s arrival, so “we really didn’t have time to react,” Ullmann added.
He described the person, who was not named, as “distraught,” and in a problematic relationship they couldn’t escape. They wanted the Humane Society to ensure their two dogs were cared for.
Ullmann said he calmed the individual by hugging them, and offering to take care of their dogs. When he walked with the person to their car, they were met by police.
The arriving officers found two guns in the individual’s vehicle, McNew said. He said the dog owner was transported to a nearby hospital and is not facing any criminal charges.
Ullmann said the Humane Society of Cowlitz County is holding the dogs in protective custody, and they can be retrieved whenever the owner is finished with treatment.
“We wish the best for them,” said Ullmann.
