Dog shot after attack on woman

The Daily Inter Lake

An aggressive dog was shot to death Friday morning after it mauled a 64-year-old woman and then charged a police officer.

Kalispell police responded to a home near the intersection of Second Avenue East North and California Street at 7:59 a.m. Friday after receiving reports that the woman had been attacked by a dog.

The woman was in her yard, reportedly shooing a puppy back onto a neighbor's property, when a pit bull jumped a small fence and attacked her, Kalispell police Detective Doug Overman said.

The woman suffered extensive bite wounds to her chin and head, and a large portion of her ear was detached. She also suffered defensive wounds to her arms and hands.

The Kalispell Fire Department took the victim to the emergency room at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, where she will require surgery.

Another neighbor, who also was chased by the dog, helped the woman back into her home and called police. The aggressive dog was still in the woman's yard when officers arrived.

It charged, forcing an officer to shoot it three times, Overman said.

The year-old dog was a family pet and reportedly had shown no signs of aggression in the past.

Citations against the dog's owners are pending the outcome of an investigation, Overman said.