Loose and sometimes aggressive dogs have caused problems for some Seeley Lake residents, leaving people wondering where the solutions lie.
While Missoula County doesn’t have a leash law, there are ordinances related to controlling one’s dog. Dogs must be in clear view of their owner and the owner must be able to control and recall the dog at all times. Dog owners can receive a citation for having a dog at large.
Also under ordinance, dogs must be licensed in the county, which lets authorities know the dogs received rabies shots.
Missoula County Animal Control provided tips regarding best practices for what to do when calling animal control, including gathering sufficient information first-hand and containing strays when possible. But an issue some locals continue to have is feeling like even if they follow these guidelines, nothing changes.
Michelle Dunn, a Seeley Lake resident and business owner, said she understands that documentation is important and initially thought containment would work great, until she tried to do so with an aggressive dog, of which Dunn said there are many in town.
Dunn has a history with a few aggressive dogs, one that bit her daughter — which Dunn said wasn’t terrible but still shouldn’t happen — and others that hang around areas like the elementary school. She’s called animal control and worked with a deputy on duty in Seeley Lake, and yet feels like the situation continues. Dunn said having a person based in Seeley, even on a part-time basis, could be a great solution.
“My frustration is that nothing gets done,” Dunn said. “Nothing changes and it’s the same problem over and over and we have to change that for safety.”
In an email, Holli Hargrove, manager of Missoula County Animal Control, said one major factor of this issue is staffing shortages in the county animal control department. In an earlier conversation over the phone, Hargrove said the main calls animal control receives from the Seeley Lake area are regarding stray or loose dogs attacking other dogs.
“We would love to be in the Seeley area regularly or even have a dedicated officer up there, but with the staffing situation that is not realistic right now,” Hargrove said in an email. “However, we have had an officer in the area more often as capacity has allowed and will continue to do so.”
Hargrove said when gathering information to report, it’s important that it’s first-hand, not something a person might have seen online. That anecdotal information can conflict with what the animal control department has investigated and pinpointed, Hargrove said, which makes it difficult to know the reality of the situation. If it’s not super accurate, it’s not helpful, she said.
Hargrove said it’s “super helpful” to give as many details as possible when reporting a stray dog, including where it is, its size, color, other identifiable features, a nearby house or the owner’s name if available. Pictures or videos are “even more helpful,” Hargrove said, and can be sent via email to animalcontrol@missoulacounty.us. Calls can be made to 406-541-7387.
It’s important to call that main line even if a person might have the cell number of a deputy or officer in town, Hargrove said. If that person happens to be off-duty when a person reports a stray, it may be too late to be helpful. Hargrove said the animal control department tries to return calls within the same day, though higher priority calls — like those relating to an aggressive dog or one causing traffic control issues — come first.
Another thing Hargrove stressed was trying to safely contain a stray dog until someone from animal control or a local deputy can take over. County-wide, Hargrove said the department gets calls from people saying they saw a dog run by, but with no additional information.
“What’s super helpful for us is when people can contain it,” Hargrove said.
There’s a variety of ways containment could happen. A person could call the local sheriff’s department to help. If they’re comfortable containing a dog in their own fenced yard or driving it to animal control in Missoula — with the possibility of meeting an animal control officer part way — that is an option. Hargrove said if it is an emergency or someone feels unsafe, call 911 and the animal control department.
Sergeant Robert Parcell — with the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office in charge of the Seeley Lake area — said people have brought loose dogs to the sheriff’s office in Seeley Lake and the department has a couple of kennels available to hold the animals until animal control or the owners come to pick them up. If someone from animal control calls the department for some assistance, an officer may go and take photos of the dog and provide its location to animal control.
Parcell said his department helps animal control with stray dog calls a couple of times each month at most. Preferably, the department waits for animal control to respond to a situation and then assists as needed.
If a person encounters an aggressive stray dog, Parcell said to call 911 immediately. If within working hours, he said to call animal control, too, and provide the department with the appropriate information directly. Echoing Hargrove, Parcell said when different deputies are on duty, not everyone knows the same things.
To fully address the problem, Parcell said keep calling with the same information until it’s taken care of, and invoked the adage, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
“I can see the frustration, but the best thing to do is just report any problems and make sure (to) continue to do so until it’s handled,” Parcell said.
Ultimately, it would behoove everyone to take care of their animals, Parcell said, which would solve this problem. He said when they don’t, it’s the animals that pay the price.
“It would be great if people would take care of their animals,” Parcell said. “It’s not the animals’ fault for running around, it’s people’s.”
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