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St. Ignatius, Ronan councils mull solutions to dog problems

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LAKE COUNTY – Ten months after Ronan City Council and St. Ignatius Town Council both separately endeavored to find some resolution to a county-wide problem of dealing with dogs at large and vicious animals, there has been little progress in the matter. Both entities continue to weigh new ideas and options. 

Public awareness and concern about dog attacks became heightened in 2014 after people complained to both town councils, and the St. Ignatius police chief sustained substantial injuries in a dog attack. Authorities said major roadblocks to solving the problem included a lack of comprehensive and uniform laws regarding dogs across the county and Flathead Reservation, and a lack of impound facilities to hold the animals. 

“The 600-pound gorilla in the room so to speak with the vicious animals is that unfortunately, if we did have any type of dog (ordinance) we don’t have anything we can do with (the dog),” Ronan City Councilmember Cal Hardy said. 

The city government tried to have an impound facility in the past, but it was not popular. Local veterinarians don’t want to board the animals during a mandatory quarantine period typically granted in the legal process of determining if the critters are vicious or not. The vets sometimes get stuck with the dogs or are left without payment for the animals’ boarding in vicious animal cases, making the boarding process undesirable, Ronan councilmembers said. 

There is also confusion over whether or not dogs owned by tribal members are subject to the same jurisdiction of non-tribal dogs, Hardy said. 

Ronan Police Chief Ken Weaver said he would like to see more cooperation between local governments on tackling the issue. 

“I think we should start exploring having some sort of animal control officer, and a place that you can take animals,” Weaver said. “They are going to have to be housed for 72 hours. There is going to have to be some kind of hearing … It’s not just the City of Ronan and it needs to be funded, too.” 

Hardy said governments have been unable to come to an agreement about how to handle the dog problem for more than 10 years.

“It looks good on paper, but it is hard to solve,” Hardy said. “I do think we have to take another stab at it.” 

St. Ignatius Town Council members grappled with a possible solution to the issue on Feb. 3. A couple has proposed constructing a kennel to board, house, re-home, and possibly euthanize stray dogs in St. Ignatius. 

A proposal was submitted in January by the couple, and the duo want a letter of intent from the town council before they proceed with construction of the kennel. Council members were enthusiastic about the possibility of having a solution for the dog problem, but they did not immediately act on the issue. The couple would likely have to submit a formal bid or written letter about providing services, councilmembers said. 

If the couple wanted to act as dogcatchers, there are other regulations that might also come into effect. 

“I’m concerned about the town’s liability,” Town Attorney James Lapotka said. 

Councilmembers said they would keep working toward a resolution on the issue.

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