ST. IGNATIUS, Mont. -- St. Ignatius police chief Jeffrey Ferguson has been sidelined from work for at least a week as he recovers from a dog attack last Thursday.
Ferguson said that he responded to a resident's complaint that "someone or something was trying to kill their dog." Upon arriving at the scene, Ferguson encountered the disruptive dog in question and was warned by a woman, identified as the daughter of the dog owner, that the animal might bite.
Despite the warning, the dog did not appear to be threatening, and Ferguson was eventually able to put a leash on the animal.
"I was walking him back and it was no problem," Ferguson said, recounting the incident. With the situation seemingly under control, Ferguson even told a responding Lake County Sheriff's Office deputy to leave the scene and that he would handle the rest.
"Not more than 30 seconds or so later, the dog stopped, looked at me, and then attacked me," Ferguson says.
The dog bit Ferguson's left leg and left arm, causing profuse bleeding.
"There's a pretty good amount of tear there," Ferguson said, noting that the wound required numerous stitches in his forearm.
"I didn't want to grab my gun and start shooting. I didn't know who else was in the area," Ferguson explained.
So he reached for his taser, instead.
On Friday, Ferguson reported that he was "doing well." His arm had been evaluated by a surgeon and will continue to be monitored for the time being.
"Right now we're trying to let the swelling get down," Ferguson said.
The fate of the dog remains undetermined. The pit bull is reportedly being quarantined at a local veterinary facility.
While citations for loose dogs are occasionally issued in St. Ignatius, Ferguson indicated that "this is the first time since I've been on the force that we've had an incident with this dog owner."
He said that, overall, the attack is a painful reminder that animals can be unpredictable. He encourages the public to take heed.
"Basically the same thing I told my kids: just be careful."
Copyright 2014 - Lake County Leader, Polson, Mont.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
