Dog attacks still a problem at Northern Cheyenne

LAME DEER, Mont. – Earlier in May, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council issued a Public Notice to all tribal residents reservation-wide about a public safety threat posed by dog attacks.

The Notice advised that beginning May 8. 2024 Tribal Council is taking action to capture all dogs found roaming freely throughout the Reservation. If a captured dog is not claimed by their owner, the dog will be euthanized, the order stated.

Therefore, dog owners are strongly advised to collar and tag their dog(s) for identification purposes.

The order does not include private residents who live in rural areas across the Reservation, those dogs not posing a threat to public safety.

People who experience a dog attack are urged to call the local BIA Police Department to report the incident and contact Patricia Ramos, Tribal Environmental Health Program to report injuries sustained. Dogs who are found to have attacked someone will also be euthanized. The notice also provides information for people to claim dogs which have been captured or to forfeit dogs they are unable to care for.

According to Tribal Council Melissa Fisher (Ashland district), Scott Small who works in Law Enforcement for the Tribe (as opposed to the B.I.A.) is implementing and enforcing the Program for the Tribal Council.

“He has the kennels, has already captured some dogs and our tribal police officers are taking reports about dog bites and attacks, referring those to B.I.A. Law Enforcement who won’t do anything,” she noted.

Small is also working with a nonprofit organization “Rez Rescue” to place some of the unclaimed dogs with off-reservation responsible owners, however, many of the strays are infected with a form of brucellosis that affects canines.  

The Northern Cheyenne Tribe currently has a lawsuit against the Department of Interior for failing to provide adequate law enforcement services on the Reservation. Thus, the degree of cooperation between the local B.I.A. police force and Tribe on matters like this is sometimes less than optimal.

There are many responsible dog owners on the Reservation, keeping their pets contained in fenced yards or tied up, leading them in public on leashes and providing ample food, water, and shelter. Periodically, the Tribal Health Program provides free spay/neuter and rabies vaccination events on the Reservation. Unfortunately, stray dogs are hard to capture for this purpose and thus reproduce and contract disease at a prolific rate.

The problem of stray and free roaming dogs has long plagued the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, particularly the towns, including Busby, Lame Deer, Birney, and Ashland. There are mixed sentiments about euthanizing dogs because of spiritual beliefs. However, as the Council reminded in the Public Notice, “The health and safety of our children, elders and membership is of the utmost importance and we are implementing this initiative to enforce public safety for all.

A few years ago, for example, a middle-aged Cheyenne man, Duke Littlewhirlwind, was discovered near the main Post Office in Lame Deer in the winter, deceased and having been partially eaten by dogs, a horrific occurrence. It was unclear if the dogs attacked and killed him, but they did consume part of his body. Some, but not all of those attacking dogs were tracked down. B.I.A. officers determined it was not within their scope of authority to shoot those dogs, which led to an enormous public controversy.

Recently, Eloise Snow, Manager if the Everything Beautiful Thrift Store cautioned shoppers to be careful when exiting the store and returning to their vehicles as a dog attack had occurred at the front door of the store, located in central Lame Deer. The Police were called, but by then the offending dog could not be found. She was assigning some of the male employees to escort elderly patrons, many of whom are in wheel chairs to get safely back to their vehicles.  She shook her head. “This is so dangerous, especially to our elders and children.”

The problem of loose and stray dogs and related attacks on humans is not limited to Northern Cheyenne. Recently, for example in a horrific and tragic event a nine-year-old boy was attacked and killed on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, South Dakota according to tribal sources from that area. The Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations have also experienced similar dog-related problems which were covered by Native Sun News Today.

Many Lame Deer residents do not have vehicles, nor access to regular public transportation and thus must walk to complete errands such as buying groceries, checking the mail, trudging to the I.H.S. clinic for a medical appointment, or conducting business at the Tribal office. (The luckier ones ride horses). They normally carry big sticks or even bull whips to fend off aggressive dogs. This is especially true when they are returning home laden with groceries.

Typically, many stray/loose dogs congregate in public areas in Lame Deer including the Cheyenne Depot, the Lame Deer IGA store, Post Office, and Tribal Office, possibly conditioned by kind people who will throw scraps of food to them. In addition, packs of wild dogs are commonly spotted in the rural areas of the reservation, often posing a threat to hikers, livestock, and wildlife.

As of this date, there are still numerous stray and free roaming dogs in Lame Deer, but Council member Fisher encourages people to make reports to the tribal police and even to the Council if they have concerns about the stray/loose dog problem feel threatened or are attacked.

Over the years the stray dog problem was under the authority of Tribal Environmental Health. From time-to-time, periodic dog roundups have been held; however, in the absence of any codes or ordinances related to dog ownership on the Reservation, a long-term solution including fines or penalties for animal neglect or abuse has yet to be developed.  

Of course, there is no public dog pound or permanent animal control officer. Yet, the current Tribal Council is to be commended for recognizing the problem and trying to address it.

(Clara Caufield at 2ndcheyennevoice@gmail.com)

The post Dog attacks still a problem at Northern Cheyenne first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

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