BILLINGS — Eight-year-old Arianna Big Day is recovering after her parents say a neighbor's dog attacked her in the Cherry Creek mobile home park in the Billings Heights. They say animal control issued a citation to the dog’s owner, but they don’t think that’s enough.
Big Day has spent a lot of time biking around her neighborhood, so her parents weren’t too concerned when she took off for a birthday party at a friend’s house Saturday morning. That changed, however, in a matter of seconds.
“I received a call that she had been attacked by a dog,” said Big Day's father, Aaron Wailes, on Monday.
The gate to a neighbor’s yard was open as Big Day biked past.
“And the dog had started to walk out real slow. And then she looked over and the dog lunged at her and latched onto her arm and wouldn’t let go,” Wailes said.
Ericka Holloway lives across the street and saw the attack.
“I saw the dog lunge, so I immediately jumped up, ran over there and told my friend who was with me to call 911,” Holloway said.
Holloway rushed Big Day and her family to the emergency room. Thankfully she’s okay, but the attack was traumatizing.
“I thought I was going to die, or something like that,” Big Day said.
That’s why Wailes called Billings Animal Control. He wants the dog to be put down, and he's worried what happened to his daughter could happen again.
“In 10 days, what’s going to happen, you know. Maybe some other kid will be riding down the street and they’ll get attacked too,” said Wailes.
MTN News knocked on the door of the owner of the German Shepherd Monday, but no one answered.
MTN also reached out to Billings Animal Control, which said the dog owner was issued a citation and told to quarantine the animal indoors for 10 days. It’ll ultimately be up to a judge to decide the dog’s fate.
“Obviously it’s an aggressive animal, and I feel like something should be done,” Wailes said.
While Wailes is thankful his daughter will recover, he fears the dog will be allowed to stay. He’s worried about what that could mean not only for his daughter but for other kids who play in the neighborhood.
“It could have been a lot worse than it already is,” said Wailes.
