Select Board Grapples with Dog Bite Incidents in Tense Meeting

The Select Board at their March 24 meeting declared a dog a nuisance and set strict rules for its owner after multiple incidents involving a child being bitten.

At a public hearing, Animal Control Officer Jamie Jeffrey presented evidence of three separate incidents of a 1-year-old Staffordshire terrier biting the same child between September 2024 and February 2025. The child was bitten in the face on more than one occasion and treated at Winchester Hospital twice, according to Jeffrey's testimony.

At what was at times a very tense meeting, the Board considered two broad options for dealing with the dog: They could register him as a "Nuisance" or as a "Dangerous Dog." The label of Dangerous Dog (called "Vicious Dog" in a former statute) is more serious and would follow the dog for life, said Jeffrey; she recommended beginning with a Nuisance registration, as the Board would be able to levy requirements on the dog owner but if the dog is rehabilitated, the Nuisance label could be removed.

Select Board Chair Joe Morandi and the other members took issue with the fact that the dog's owner did not attend the hearing. When a dog bites, said Morandi, it's a reflection of the owner and not the dog. But, while he and other Board members were reluctant to impose severe penalties on the dog, they also expressed little confidence that the owner would follow through on the Board's requirements, since he was not present to represent himself.

In the end, the Board unanimously voted to label the dog as a nuisance while highlighting that time is of the essence. This dog reportedly bit the same child three times in six months, said member Sarah Cawley, and she didn't want such an incident happening again under their watch.

The Board imposed several conditions, including:

• Neutering the dog
• Completing in-home training
• Keeping the dog leashed and muzzled
• Creating an in-home enclosure

The Board also ordered that their decision be sent to the property owner where the dog lives, as the dog's keeper is reportedly renting the home. Jeffrey assured the Board the child is no longer living in the home and won't be returning.

Jeffrey will update the Board in two weeks on the owner's compliance. If the conditions aren't met, they may reconsider classifying the dog as dangerous.