BOZEMAN — In a corner of the Creekside Apartments where a Bozeman resident was doing her daily walk, she recently noticed a dog running toward her.
“I wasn't wanting to kill someone else's dog. No one wants to think or even process that,” Chelsea Thomas says as she reflects on the moments of the attack.
Thomas has lived in Bozeman for two years. She walks her two dogs Nova and Bella every day.
On the evening of Saturday, July 27, 2024 their evening walk did not go as planned.
“The latch for the gate for the patio to leave the apartment complex was not latched. And that pit bull, as soon as he saw her, literally 100 miles an hour, one thing on its mind. That was to go right after her,” Thomas says.
She says the dog refused to let go of her 11-year-old husky named Bella.
“Obviously, this dog is not going to let go. I’ve seen blood coming out of her face, and that's when I had to make that hard decision to pull my knife out of my pocket, and that's when I started stabbing the dog as many times as I could,” Thomas says.
Chelsea's own injuries were minor compared to Bella's, who stayed overnight at the vet.
On Sunday, August 4, Chelsea posted on Facebook: "Bella is doing better and recovering ok. Still a bad limp in her walk but getting around ok. Going back to the vet on Tuesday. Bella is 11 yrs old, blind and diabetic. She is completely defenseless!"
She says she doesn't blame the attacking dog, which later died due to its injuries.
“You know, you find that bad one that isn't secure, and it only takes one second for something horrifying to happen to your animal,” Chelsea said.
Thomas Jakob at Cottonwood Vet Hospital has been a veterinarian for nearly 40 years. He says some behaviors can be genetic.
“Altogether, chihuahuas bite more people but aren't much of a bad threat. On the other end of the spectrum are pit bulls, Rottweilers, Shepards. They are so powerful, they can bite and break a bone with just one bite,” Jakob says.
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He says pet owners should be leashing their dogs.
“That's irresponsible. Because you never know. All dogs can bite. What some people do is when they have their dogs leashed up, they put a bright ribbon around their collar, which should signal an alert that this dog may be iffy if approached too closely,” Jakob says.
Chelsea is seeking legal counsel for her next steps regarding the attack. She is also requesting video footage from the apartment leasing office.
But her bottom line is: “Honestly, I'm gonna say this: I wish the dog had gone after me instead of my dog. I wish I would have gotten the full attack over my animal any day,” Chelsea says.
There is no word at this point on whether the owner of the attacking dog has been identified.
