Another vicious dog attack on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation

LAME DEER, Mont. – As this article is penned, several police officers and a Veterinarian are parked within two blocks of my house in Lame Deer, Mont. They are capturing a pack of very large and aggressive dogs in order to remove them from the Reservation. These dogs attacked and seriously injured a young woman on Tuesday evening.

Three relatives just stopped by to advise me about what happened, urging that I not go walking around as that happened within a block of my residence. It was not possible to get a photo because the area was blocked off.

Within Lame Deer, it is too dangerous to walk, unless armed with a whip, large stick, even a cattle prod to fend off packs of vicious dogs in the community. On Tuesday, a young Cheyenne woman, which they said was about 30 years old was attacked and mauled by several large dogs, part pit bull near a residence which is widely suspected of various illegal activities. According to Facebook photos, the victim sustained large gashes, even on the neck and face; and has been hospitalized.

That is only one pack of dogs. Each neighborhood is afflicted with these hungry beasts, a matter of concern to reservation citizens, especially those who have no choice but to walk. This is especially worrisome to the most vulnerable, such as elderly, women pushing baby strollers or those who are packing groceries. The dog problem is most prevalent in Lame Deer, but to some extent affects other district communities as well. This is not the first instance. Some years ago, an adult man was killed and partially eaten by a similar pack of dogs.

On the other hand, there are many responsible dog owners on the reservation who do not contribute to this problem.

The BIA officers explain, rightly so, that due to the lack of tribal enforcement, they do not have the legal authority to deal with vicious dogs. There are several dog laws on the tribal books, but there are no tribal animal control officers, etc. to follow-up on that. It does not seem be anyone’s responsibility.

Lame Deer District Chairperson, Amanda White Shield advises “another” petition to urge the Tribal Council to take some responsible action about this situation. That was attempted previously as a rough survey documented that hundreds of people have been attacked and bitten, requiring medical care. This also seems to be a problem within many of the poorer Great Plains Tribes, as like incidents have been reported.

Hopefully, the newly elected Tribal Council will heed this situation and do something about it.

(Contact Clara Caufield at acheyennereview@ gmail.com)

The post Another vicious dog attack on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

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