Woman attacked by dogs in Browning was attacked by three dogs while walking to town in Browning on Tuesday, Dec. 2, sustaining bites to her head, arms and legs. The incident reflects growing concern in the Browning community about aggressive dogs, residents said.

The assault has prompted vocal concern in the community and renewed calls for action from residents who say aggressive dogs have become a public-safety problem. National public-health estimates indicate that millions of people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs each year, according to federal health agencies.

The attack occurred around midday on Tuesday, December 2, according to Goings and witnesses. Witnesses say the animals surrounded and attacked her, and that she was left on the ground with the dogs around her. “I felt one jump on top, and it bit me on the head. It scared me because I was like realizing I was getting bit, you know. And then it got my arm, and they jerked me to the ground, and they just start biting everywhere. I could just feel them all over me. And I was screaming. I was screaming for a while and I think I was in shock for most of the time. But all I could think of was I was going to die,” said Jonel Goings, describing the attack.

Two people who encountered the scene offered immediate help. “We saw, like, just a bunch of dogs on the side of the road. And then what we thought, like they were kind of ripping up a deer or something. And then we got closer, it was Jonel,” said witness Weslin Edwards. Another witness, Sonny DeRoche, said he fired a shot in the air to scare the animals and then ran toward them, which prompted the dogs to move away: “My first thought was to jump out, and I shot in the air. The dogs didn’t really run far, but after I started running towards them with the gun they kind of started running away.”

Responders from the Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife Animal Control Division arrived on the scene immediately, and the Blackfeet Fish & Wildlife Department provided updates to the community and reiterated a commitment to public safety. Community members are encouraged to report aggressive dogs or unsafe conditions to the Blackfeet Fish & Wildlife Animal Control Division, according to officials. Authorities located and secured two of the dogs; one animal remains the subject of an ongoing search, officials said.

The episode has intensified concern among residents about walking outdoors. “We have people walking around with bats and sticks to protect themselves from the dogs because you just cannot walk anywhere anymore. And it’s not a joke and it’s not funny. And I’m like, there’s all these red flags and everybody’s ignoring them. And I just think it’s time we step up as a community and get something done about it,” said Diana Burd, Goings’s aunt. This sentiment resonates deeply with many in the area, as the rise in incidents involving aggressive dogs stirs fear among residents, particularly those who frequently walk in the community.

Community members have described a pattern of encounters with aggressive dogs and are urging leaders to take measures they say will protect residents. The Blackfeet Fish & Wildlife Department has said it is working to address the situation while animal control continues its search for the remaining dog. Goings’s account and the witness statements have been shared with local responders as they follow up on the incident and attempt to locate the third animal.

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Original reporting: view the original article.