64-Year-Old Riverton Woman Mauled By Pit Bull On Bike Path; Owner Of Dog Gets Citation

A 64-year-old woman was attacked by a pit bull on while taking a walk on a bike path in Riverton. The woman suffered injuries to her forehead, nose, and upper lip.

CM
Clair McFarland

November 28, 20222 min read

Pit bull file photo 11 28 22
(Cowboy State Daily Staff)

The owner of a pit bull in Riverton has been cited after the dog brutally attacked a 64-year-old woman during a morning walk on a local bike path.

At about 8 a.m. Wednesday, a tan-and-white pit bull “came up out of nowhere and jumped on her,” said Bart Ringer, Riverton Police Department communications officer, in a Monday interview with Cowboy State Daily.  

Two boys who were in the area called the dog, pinned it to the ground and apologized to the woman, then took the dog and left the area, said Ringer.  

The woman had a “considerable amount of blood on her forehead, down the middle of her face, and bite marks on her forehead, nose and upper lip,” said Ringer.  

She went to the emergency room. Police responded to a call from the hospital, where the woman gave an account of the incident and a description of the dog.  

RPD that day posted on Facebook that they needed “desperately” to find the dog and determine its vaccination status. 

“The dog was with 2 young Caucasian males who headed north with the dog,” RPD wrote. The post describes the attack as “brutal.” 

The victim later identified the dog from a photograph of a pit bull suspected of the attack. It is up to date on its vaccinations.  

The dog’s owner, Zachary Hayne, 37, was cited for a vicious animal incident. Hayne was cooperative with police. The dog, in the owner’s yard, did not seem “overly aggressive” to the visiting police officer at that time though it barked and jumped, Ringer related from the report.  

“The victim came in the next day and said she was doing better, and she’s working with our victim’s advocate ladies,” Ringer added.

Authors

CM

Clair McFarland

Crime and Courts Reporter