Duke Little Whirlwind, 58-years old, was killed by a pack of dogs in Lame Deer.
Death by Dogs Confirmed
UPDATE 12/16/21: On Tuesday, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) confirmed that a 58-year old Lame Deer man was killed by a pack of dogs on Tribal land. "BIA officers responded to a call about a man being attacked by dogs, but when they arrived there were no dogs present," the BIA said in a press release. Duke Little Whirlwind, 58, was found dead on a dirt road Sunday. The Rosebud County Sheriff and coroner also responded to the scene, reports the MT Standard.
"Following a preliminary autopsy, it was determined the cause of death was an attack by canines, with drugs and alcohol as contributing factors."
On Thursday, The Missoulian provided more details about Avalee Little Whirlwind's account, Duke's niece, who arrived at the scene with a .22 caliber rifle ready to kill the dogs that took her uncle's life. Her uncle lay lifeless under a tarp on the dirt road. She yelled at the BIA officers, demanding to know why they had done nothing about the dogs circling her uncle's body. At that point, the situation intensified and resulted in BIA officers placing Little Whirlwind in handcuffs.
The officers did nothing about the dogs, according to Little Whirlwind, something members of the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council confirm. Hours later, when Duke Little Whirlwind’s body was removed by the coroner and the officers left the scene, the dogs were left behind to prowl the blood-soaked street.
"They just ran around there all night," Little Whirlwind said.
The next day, the dogs’ owners took four of the dogs out of town and shot them. Little Whirlwind said a female pit bull had recently birthed puppies and was the instigator in the attack. She demanded to go see the dogs’ bodies and she photographed them. - The Missoulian, AJ Etherington, December 16, 2021
The BIA officers later told Little Whirlwind they understood she was upset and they let her go but confiscated her gun, reports The Missoulian. Little Whirlwind identified the instigator in the attack as a female pit bull that had recently birthed puppies. She photographed the four dogs suspected in the attack that were shot and killed by their owners the next day, including the female pit bull. The BIA continues to assert "there were no dogs present" when they arrived at the scene.
The 2019 Ordinance
Previously, we reported on the 2019 ordinance that the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council passed authorizing "law enforcement authorities (primarily BIA law enforcement) to eliminate dangerous dogs from the Reservation." The BIA had initially asked for the ordinance as an opportunity to take care of the dog problem, then recanted and "told the Council they could not comply with the ordinance due to federal rules governing the use of their firearms," reports The Missoulian.
Tribal Council member Lane Spotted Elk said the BIA police chief told the Council that any discharge of their service weapons would lead to an internal investigation by the agency and that officers did not want to undergo that, reports The Missoulian. So, the ordinance went unenforced until mid-2021. At that time the Tribe invested in traps and hired personnel to capture the dogs to either take them to shelters or euthanize them. That process is quite slow, Spotted Elk explained.
Ancient Dog Breed Lost
Diane Spotted Elk, also a council member and Spotted Elk's cousin, noted that the long-standing and sacred relationship the Northern Cheyenne people have with dogs was based on a specific, functional dog type that the "Cheyenne people travelled the prairies and mountains with generations earlier." That dog breed or type has been extinct for over a hundred years. Pit bulls, chihuahuas, yorkies, German shepherds and blue heelers are not the sacred dogs, she explained.
12/13/21: Man Found Dead in Lame Deer
Lame Deer, MT - On Sunday, Duke Little Whirlwind, 58, was found dead on a dirt road in Lame Deer. His family believes he was killed by a pack of roaming dogs. "My brother George saw him lying there, all of his clothes ripped off, naked," Avalee Little Whirlwind, Duke's niece, told KTVQ. "He was face down, and those dogs were still running around." Whirlwind had stopped a few blocks away to pick up a bicycle, Avalee said. He was found dead by a neighbor shortly thereafter.
Little Whirlwind's body was transported by the Rosebud County coroner to Forsyth late Sunday, then transported to the state crime lab in Billings. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday. Tom MexicanCheyenne, who has lived in Lame Deer for over 40 years, said that despite a Northern Cheyenne tribal ordinance enacted in 2019, law enforcement has not done enough to curb the issue. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officers, according to him, say it's not their responsibility.
The 2019 ordinance states, "WHEREAS, the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation is currently overpopulated with dogs, some of which roam uncontrolled and are dangerous and have attacked people on the Reservation without provocation ... WHEREAS, the Tribe currently does not have adequate funds to administer an animal control program; and WHEREAS, until funds are secured for such a program, the Tribal Council wishes to adopt an ordinance which authorizes law enforcement authorities (primarily BIA law enforcement) to eliminate dangerous dogs from the Reservation." - Ordinance No. DOI-014 (2019)
Avalee said the owners of four dogs, allegedly involved in the fatal attack, shot and killed the animals early Monday morning. Instead of waiting on officials to take action, "They decided to do that themselves this morning, around 6:00-7:00 am," Avalee said. "They showed me the spot, and I took pictures of the dogs they killed. They took them out of town and shot them, four of them, because those dogs had blood on them and they knew those dogs had a part in it," Avalee said.
Perpetual Problem
Back in May, Lyssa Rose Upshaw, 13, was killed by a pack of dogs on the Navajo Nation. Lyssa was found curled up in a fetal position, "her clothes and pieces of flesh scattered around," reported the Navajo Times. Her death came a month after the Associated Press reported that Covid-19 had hindered animal control services on the Navajo Nation, which spans 27,000 square miles. During 2020, the pandemic forced Navajo authorities to shut down three of their four animal shelters.
Roaming packs of dogs -- owned uncollared dogs and abandoned dogs -- are a perpetual problem on many reservations. Cultural beliefs and a lack of resources, such as animal control officers and functional shelters, are often to blame. The lack of spay/neuter services and mobile spay/neuter units to service remote areas are also to blame. As soon as a dent is made in lowering the population of roaming dogs, many new puppies are born and the problem starts all over again.
Dog Owner's Post
One of the dog owners, Limberhand Nolan, posted to Facebook claiming that his dogs are the heroes. Alleging that Duke "got jumped, beat to death and left on side of the road." He continued, "We would of never knew he was there or how long he would of been there. If it wasn't for are dogs who found him and started licking the blood off him. Duke had bruises, he was hit with a weapon. The police report will tell you the same. Just wanted to get the true story out there." [sic].
As if severe dog bite injuries do not leave bruises? Nolan's theory also cannot explain why the man was stripped naked -- a routine occurrence in a fatal pack attack. NorthernCheyenne Elders replied, "Hey dummy take this post down your ignorant for saying this you don't know that I just seen this post the autopsy hasn't been complete yet & those were your dog's. Have some fucking respect !!! They attacked him!!! Licking ?!!! Why does he have to have a closed casket than?" [sic].
In June 2019, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council passed a dangerous dog ordinance.
The Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation is located about 110 miles east of Billings.
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Fatal Dog Attacks on American Indian Reservations.Learn about breed-specific laws on Indian reservations in our Breed Safety Laws section.
Related articles:
05/29/21: 2021 Dog Bite Fatality: Teenager Killed by Pack of Dogs on the Navajo Nation...
01/16/20: 2020 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Killed by Pack of Dogs on Tribal Land at Taos Pueble
07/23/16: 2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Pack of Pit Bulls Kill Boy on Navajo Nation Reservation
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.
How can you tell when the at-large dog offender is lying? When their lips are moving.
This case is just one of a small percentage of fatal dog attacks that occur in rural areas that gets reported. Most similar cases do not get reported.
It is not safe to step outside without adequate self defense in rural areas. Same with suburban areas. People will have to live with loose dangerous dogs until the citizenry undergoes general mobilization against the threat.
Not enough funds? Bullets aren’t that expensive. Once the people who let their maulers run loose find out there are REAL consequences this will stop. No sooner.
I’m with you two, Rich and KaD.
Through my usual self admitted poor habit of procrastination, I’ve let my cc permit lapse. But I’m getting it renewed again.
The FB reaction from one of the owners of the killers gives a whole new meaning to “They’ll lick you to death!” The “res dogs” in the past were mainly scrawny mutts wandering for food and attention. (Please know, this is not a judgment of people who live on reservations.) But the scourge of pit bulls/mixes are now the ones running loose and are lethal. I don’t own a gun, however, I’ve thought about self-defense more lately. I’m not as fearful about human intruders-but loose pit bulls or ones that lunge off their leash. Everyday, I see more and more “rescue” pits dragging adults and their children around. We have a humane society that was just given $1,000,000. Yes, 7 figures and their website is packed with pits!
Nolan’s comments are now hidden; presumably he thought better of them.
This business of pack attacks stripping the clothes from victims is so strange. And scary. I think we assume that pack attacks are kind of accidental events, that a group of dogs escalate out of their own control and the victim dies of blood loss from 1-2 unlucky bites. The stripping, however, suggests that these are extremely violent events, that the dogs are in a frenzy.
The clothes ripped off is a sign of the type of attack these dogs are implementing. Pit bull type dogs bite, plant their back legs into the ground, and pull backwards, tearing back whatever is in their bite’s grip. This technique was bred into them. The original bull-baiting bull dogs would bite and hold, which was effective against bulls and entertaining for those who enjoyed paying to watch. When bull-baiting was outlawed and fanciers transferred their attention to breeding bulldogs for dog fighting profits, they would have added terrier blood to make the fights more interesting and varied (vs. two dogs just trying to hang onto each others’ throats). Terriers originally were bred to go into holes after foxes or rats or other hunted animals, grip the animal, and pull it out. So you combine a tenacious bite and exceedingly aggressive personality with darting in and pulling…that is how pit bull types were bred, what made them popular and victorious pit fighters, and gives them their modern human attack MO. First, they bite and yank, and the clothes come off easily. The next bite and yank (accompanied by gripping and shaking the head) brings degloving injuries or literally rips off a whole body part. That’s why these attacks are so grisly. It is not just a person covered in bites. It is a person who has been yanked to pieces. It is horrible.
I once watched a video of a pit bull determinedly yanking the bumper off a police car. It was very enlightening as to their mode of attack and why they are so deadly to pets and people.
I can’t but help, yet again, to question as to whether the dogs that were put down by their owner were the dogs that actually committed this latest fatality.
There’s plenty of dogs running loose on that reservation? And he’s offered up an alibi for his own dogs?
Empty your pockets, Nolan.
What do the feral dogs eat? Other dogs? People? Rabbits?
Squirrels?
In the early 70’s a group of vet students was brought to a rural.location in order to.reduce the size of a pack of dogs. The dogs were fed by an old man who lived in part of a building.
The dogs had the run of an attached garage. The attachment to the garage of his living quarters prevented some methods of extermination. Besides, the old man had some favorite dogs which he didn’t want destroyed. Vet students went into the garage, caught dogs, and dragged them out for IV euthanasia. The dogs were all medium sized dogs with erect ears. We euthanized 50-60 dogs that day and left about ten dogs.
Reproduction had mostly stopped, as the worm load was killing the puppies. Most puppies were dying of hookworms. This was before the world was overrun with pit bulls. I don’t believe this pack would have killed anyone. However, they would have bitten anyone who tried to touch them. In other words, they would have bitten out of fear. The bodies were put in a van and hauled away.
I question why this pack was not dangerous while obviously some packs are extremely dangerous. What was the difference? Was it simply that the caretaker was feeding his pack Purina Dog Chow whereas other packs are not fed.
At any rate, this pack was dangerous, This happened before there were inexpensive spays/neuters available. I also wondered if this pack again began to reproduc, how much time would it take to turn the 10-20 dogs left.into 60-70 again.
Actually I think an owner leaving.two dogs running together is causing a risky scenario.
Bring in some pit bulls that have big litters and the same problem recurs with dangerous dogs.
Thank you, Colleen, for today’s update. So, the not “quite slow” process is not implemented, because there is to much official paperwork, so the “quite slow” process is implemented, which is totally ineffective. This is what happens when people’s lives and limbs are valued much, much less than loose dangerous aggressive carnivorous predators are valued.
“This is what happens when people’s lives and limbs are valued much, much less than loose dangerous aggressive carnivorous predators are valued.”
Noted a story on a local news station yesterday of a Boston Terrier supposedly saving a choking infant. The dog repeatedly tried to enter its room. The mother became alarmed and checked on her 9 month old daughter, found her choking, and brought her to the hospital.
The news media jumps right on the story, hailing the dog as a hero.
Of course we all have to take her word for it that her dog is a hero. This wouldn’t be the first time that someone has become executive talent agent for their pet, seeking national exposure as a hero/celebrity. Also have to question the Californian who claimed his pit bull saved him from an attacking shark. {which by the way somehow opened a car door to rescue his owner who was being chewed by the shark, which by the way he afterward tossed back into the water}
How long until dogs are given the vote? I can just hear the argument.
“Ginger was so sad when the election results came in last night. I just know she wanted so badly to vote for (insert politicians name here). It’s a great injustice that her rights are so violated. She should be granted a voice just like any other person.”
There’s a fast process that’s already been mentioned in this thread. Scroll back up to KaD’s comment and you’ll see what I mean.
Short take: This fast process involves ammunition, not paperwork.
Fortunately there is little rabies in the USA. This type of handling dogs could result in people getting rabies from dogs if rabies was present.
I remember visiting a reservation on the coast of Washington 45 years ago. I was appalled at the poverty and the air thick with despair. If people have problems getting proper nutrition, education and surrounded by addiction, I guess loose dogs are low on the priority list. But even as I see in the affluent, well-educated community I live in…pit bull/mixes are everywhere. The difference is that the dogs are better fed than impoverished people and on the end of a leash. Somewhere along the line, dogs have been put on an altar and viewed as equal to or even more important than human life. This is a tragic story on every level.
And let me guess: Those pit bull/mixes are RESCUES! Which is yet another form of virtue signaling among the affluent and well-educated.
When I was younger, if you wanted a good mutt, you got a rez dog. They cost a few dollars or were given away, free.
Why were these such stable family pets?
Because if any puppy or dog that showed a modicum of aggressive behaviour towards people they were shot on the spot. No spay and neuter, no chance to breed, just culled out of the breeding pool, instantly.
That’s when people lived in community with dogs.
No outside interference claiming dog abuse when vicious animals were culled. Never heard of a pitbull being around there, ever. Mainly GSD/Husky/Hunting dog mixes breeding more intelligent friendly dogs amongst themselves with no human interference.
We’re not making this better with all this emphasis on spay/neuter, purely positive dog training, mass breeding for looks, saving neurotic dogs, saving dogs that are dangerous.
We’re making it, worse.
Our society isn’t “kind to dogs”. It’s cruel beyond measure to breed dogs that have zero resilience to what life throws at them, take far too much energy to train to survive in a complex society and wind up living lives in a constant state of anxiety because their needs are not met and they can’t cope.
We pay the price in bites and maulings.
The results of this are that when someone does the responsible thing by taking vicious dogs out and shooting them, they are the villain of the story.
(In this case, the owner should never have had a pitbull in the first place.)
I love how the police try to gaslight Avalee Little Whirlwind by basically denying that they saw any dogs there.
That and victim blaming, trying to imply that drugs or alcohol had anything to do with it.
Although the deceased’s niece has used the “P” word, let’s not overlook their keeping the breed of the dogs a mystery. There’s a great fear to use the “P” word, so we all left scratching our heads.
Waiting for a press conference someday that goes as follows:
Reporter- “What breed was involved?”
Spokesperson- ” It was a Mix.”
Reporter- “A Mix? Can you clue us in to the breed of either the stud or the bitch?”
Spokesperson- “The were both Mixes.”
Reporter- “So what we’re looking at here is a Mix of a Mix?”
Spokesperson- “That is correct. A Mix-Mix. I have personally verified that is the alleged breed we’re looking at here.”
People used to choose dogs because they.were bred with a purpose. Farmers with guns took care of dangerous dogs.
Would you believe some guy got a Siberian husky for Search & Rescue. The dog did do acceptably on the first stage of training. Then if the dog was off lead, he took off for the hills. I guess the owner should have fenced the training area.