A reported ghost dog in an old Bothell, Washington, apartment
A letter read on air describes an old apartment building in Bothell, Washington. The writer and a roommate named [name withheld] reportedly heard and saw signs of a small dog they did not own. Friends at a weekly card game also reportedly heard and felt the animal. The writer says they later learned a little white dog had lived there and been killed by a car.
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The story as told
In a letter read on the broadcast, the writer says they once lived in a very old apartment building in Bothell, Washington, sharing the apartment with a roommate named [name withheld]. The writer reports that one day it became clear a dog was sharing the apartment. They describe hearing little toenails in the kitchen, panting, and scratching. They also found signs of what they call lap-dog accidents, such as plants knocked over and little puddles appearing mysteriously. These, the writer says, happened at regular intervals. The problem, the writer notes, was that they did not have a dog.
According to the letter, the writer eventually raised the matter with [name withheld] over a beer after work. [name withheld] reportedly shot up and said [quote withheld] and the writer asked whether [name withheld] had seen it. [name withheld] reportedly replied that [name withheld] had not, that it was [quote withheld] After comparing their experiences, the writer says the two concluded it was a ghost dog and that it was their pet.
The writer reports that friends laughed at them during the weekly card game. The teasing stopped when, according to the letter, everyone at the card table heard the dog walk up, pant a little, and wag its tail against their ankles. The writer says that the writer and [name withheld] reached down to pet the dog at the same moment, and there was no dog there. Later, the writer says, they learned that a little white dog had lived there and had been run over by a car.
Reported events, in order
- 0:00
The writer says they lived in a very old apartment building in Bothell, Washington, with a roommate named [name withheld].
- 0:05
The writer reports it became clear a dog was sharing the apartment, with toenails in the kitchen, panting, scratching, and knocked-over plants and puddles at regular intervals.
- 0:26
The writer says they had no dog.
- 0:31
The writer raises it with [name withheld] over a beer. [name withheld] reportedly says [quote withheld] but makes clear it was only an impression, not a sighting.
- 0:43
After comparing experiences, the two reportedly conclude it was a ghost dog that was their pet.
- 0:51
Friends reportedly laugh at them at the weekly card game, then stop when the whole table hears the dog walk up, pant, and wag its tail against their ankles.
- 1:07
The writer and [name withheld] reportedly reach down at the same moment to pet the dog, but there is no dog there.
- 1:15
The writer says they later learned a little white dog had lived there and been run over by a car.
Claims
Each claim is labeled as something the person telling the story noticed (observation), what they made of it (interpretation), something others told them (hearsay), or something the host said (host statement).
- observation· 0:12
The writer reports hearing a small dog's toenails in the kitchen, along with panting and scratching, in an apartment where no dog lived.
- observation· 0:12
The writer reports plants knocked over and small puddles appearing mysteriously at regular intervals.
- observation· 0:26
The writer states they did not own a dog.
- observation· 0:34
[name withheld] reportedly described the impression of a small white dog without claiming to have seen it.
- interpretation· 0:43
The writer and [name withheld] concluded the presence was a ghost dog that was their pet.
- observation· 0:57
According to the letter, everyone at the card table heard the dog and felt its tail against their ankles.
- observation· 1:07
The writer and [name withheld] reportedly reached down to pet the dog and found nothing there.
- hearsay· 1:15
The writer says they later learned a little white dog had lived in the apartment and been run over by a car.
Scores, with reasons
An AI model gave these scores using a fixed set of scoring rules (scoring-v1). They are editorial judgments and rough guides, not the odds that anything paranormal happened. How scoring works.
This is a firsthand story with concrete detail about the sounds and the place. But it is brief, it has no dates, and an ordinary explanation (a neighbor's dog or building noise) fits reasonably well.
Evidence for and against
- Firsthand story from the writer, with a named place and roommate.
- Specific sounds and signs: [quote withheld]
- Multiple witnesses claimed at the card table.
- No dates or verifiable specifics beyond the town.
- Sounds and messes in an old apartment could have ordinary sources.
- The “later we learned” detail may color the interpretation after the fact.
- The letter was read aloud, so the original wording may have been changed or trimmed.
- No information on the building, the time frame, or the card-game guests.
- 0:00
- 0:12
- 1:15
What the model inferred (not said on air): A firsthand source and specific detail support a middle score. The lack of checkable detail and an easy ordinary explanation keep it below the “clear firsthand” anchor.
The only checkable specifics are a town and a first name. Several witnesses are claimed, but none speaks on air and no physical evidence is presented.
Evidence for and against
- Named town (Bothell, Washington) and roommate ([name withheld]).
- Multiple witnesses claimed at a card game.
- No documentation, photographs, or records.
- No witness other than the letter writer speaks on air.
- The ghost dog identification rests on a later, unverified report.
- Whether the letter was read in full or edited.
- 0:57
- 1:15
What the model inferred (not said on air): Claimed witnesses and a named place put this in the 11 to 25 range, near the lower end because nothing is verified.
The story is mostly gentle and even affectionate, with a ghost dog treated as a pet. Only the shared moment at the card table is mildly eerie.
Evidence for and against
- Friends reportedly heard and felt an animal that was not there.
- The simultaneous reach to pet nothing.
- The presence is described as a friendly pet, not a threat.
- The tone is light, and the story ends with an explanation rather than dread.
- How the letter's tone came across in full.
- 1:07
- 1:12
What the model inferred (not said on air): Only mildly unsettling. There is no threat, harm, or escalation.
A ghost-animal story with a familiar shape. It stands out mainly for the group card-game episode and the ordinary detail of “lap dog accidents.”
Evidence for and against
- A ghost animal rather than a human figure.
- A shared experience with guests at a card game.
- The core elements (sounds, a phantom pet, a matching history learned later) are common ghost-story motifs.
- The short excerpt limits comparison.
- 0:51
- 1:15
What the model inferred (not said on air): A familiar frame plus a couple of distinctive details puts it in the lower middle of the scale.
Scoring confidence 0.70 · analysis confidence 0.75 · checked against outside sources: no · evidence available: A letter read on air (the writer's firsthand written story).; Multiple witnesses claimed, none speaking on air.; No documents or photographs examined.. The originality score blends the model's score (40) with how rare the story's details are across the archive. This method is still provisional.
Ordinary explanations to consider
These are possibilities only. None is a finding about what happened.
- Sounds attributed to a dog could come from a neighboring apartment, the building's pipes or settling structure, or animals in the walls. The puddles and knocked-over plants could have separate everyday causes. · The writer places the events in an old apartment building and reports the sounds of toenails in the kitchen, panting, and scratching, plus plants knocked over and puddles.
- The card-game episode could involve expectation and group suggestion, since the writer says the friends had already been teasing them about the supposed dog. · The teasing reportedly came before the moment everyone heard and felt the dog.
- The “later we learned” detail about a white dog killed by a car may have shaped or reinforced the interpretation after the fact. · The writer places that information last, as something learned afterward.
What stands out
The reported presence is a gentle animal rather than a human figure. The story also includes a group of card-game guests who reportedly share the sounds and the feeling of the dog.
Related stories
Matched by shared recurring details, categories, and wording.