Sheep Attacks Growing, Dogs Asked to be on Leash on Waterworks Hill

For a while now, sheep have been placed on Waterworks Hill to eat noxious weeds that grow on Mount Jumbo. However, the hill is also meant for recreational purposes. Outside of the Waterworks Trailhead, dogs are allowed off leash. Paige Pavalone with the Missoula County Sherriff’s Department said three times in the last couple of days, dogs have been attacking sheep:

"There are sheep that are grazing on the hillside and they're there to eat noxious weeds," Pavalone said. "Three times in the last couple of days, there have been dogs that have attacked sheep pretty brutally; One of them we don't think made it. This morning, one of our detectives was driving by the I-90 exit and a dog had chased the sheep onto the interstate and caused quite the hazard and cars were swerving."

Pavalone said the detective stopped, got the dog away from the sheep, and was able to get the sheep off of the interstate and located the sheep herder.

"We're asking people, just while the sheep are up there, to please keep your dogs on a leash," Pavalone said. "Even though they might be under voice command with you, if they see something, they want to chase the sheep, they might not always listen to you. Because we've had so many incidents, the sheep herder has about had it, so we want people to be courteous of that."

Pavalone is asking the public to keep their dogs on a leash at least until July 10.