A 16-year-old Burien girl, who pled guilty to using a pit bull to attack two women, will spend a year in juvenile detention.

The sentence came down Thursday morning in King County Juvenile Court.

Both women attacked by the dog testified at the sentencing hearing, as did the teen's mother.

The mother testified she had been unsuccessful in getting mental health help for her daughter. The teen's father has not lived with his daughter since she was very young. He now lives in Portland.

A probation officer and the prosecutor said the girl would have no chance of getting treatment if she stayed in the home and the judge agreed.

The Burien girl cried as she listened to her victims speak. Later, she apologized to both of them.

The attacks occurred back in June when a woman spotted four youths kicking a pit bull in the 13300 block of Des Moines Memorial Drive South.

The woman stopped to help but was attacked by the 16-year-old girl and the dog.

A second woman was also attacked and bit on the elbow by the dog.

"Snaps," the pit bull involved in the attack has been sent to an animal sanctuary on the Olympic Peninsula.

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"Snaps," the pit bull used by a group of minors to attack two women in the SeaTac area in June, left King County Animal Care and Control on Saturday to go to a new home.

His former owner, a 16-year-old Burien girl, pled guilty to assault charges in juvenile court on Thursday.

The children used Snaps in the attack against the two women and encouraged him to bite both women multiple times.

Snaps had been held at King County's animal shelter in Kent since the incident but has now been released as evidence in the case.

Staff determined that, due to his continued aggression towards people, Snaps should not be placed with a foster or adoptive family as is often the outcome for other animals surrendered in criminal cases.

Two independent behavior assessments commissioned by King County from outside experts supported that determination and the recommendation that long term care in a sanctuary was the only option for the dog.

Olympic Animal Sanctuary, a non-profit animal welfare and rescue organization located in Forks on the Olympic Peninsula has agreed to take custody of the dog.

It provides a place for the care and rehabilitation of dogs that are non-adoptable due to behavior, such as fighting dogs, street dogs, feral dogs, wolf or coyote hybrids, and dogs that have killed other animals or bitten people.

Staffers take their time rehabilitating the animals to ensure the process is done correctly and to help the animals learn to get along with humans and each other while never being placed for adoption again.

The City of Forks does not require nor offer a kennel license; however, the Forks Police and Clallam County Sheriff's Departments are in frequent contact with the sanctuary and are very knowledgeable about the facility and the work being done there, according to King County animal control officials.

The officials have been in contact with the Forks Police Department to alert them to their new resident.

"The Olympic Animal Sanctuary will be a great place for Snaps to rest, heal, and learn to be a normal dog, even if he will never be truly safe for adoption," said King County Animal Care and Control Manager Nancy McKenney.

The staff at King County Animal Care and Control cared for Snaps while the case of his former owner moved through the justice system.

"This is an example of the hard work our staff does to ensure that every animal has a chance," said McKenney. "It's one of the many reasons we only have a 20 percent euthanasia rate; one of the lowest in the country.

"Experts agree that this dog is not a good fit for adoption but we encourage his supporters and others to consider bringing home one of the other adoptable pit bulls and pit bull mixes we have in our adoption kennels."

Situations like the one with Snaps can be avoided through responsible pet ownership, McKenney added. If pet owners are having trouble managing their pet, they're urged to consult a certified animal trainer.

For more information on responsible pet ownership, visit the King County Animal Care and Control Pet Tips Page: http://www.kingcounty.gov/safety/AnimalServices/pettips.aspx