Templeton Select Board declares two dogs dangerous after June attack; owner absent from hearing

The Templeton Select Board on Sept. 10 declared two dogs — Daisy and Sprinkles, both kept at 18 Blake Avenue — dangerous after hearing testimony that the animals pushed open a gate and attacked a resident’s dog and its owner on June 15, 2025. The board voted to require the animals to be confined indoors, muzzled and leashed whenever outdoors, handled by an adult, microchipped for life and covered by liability insurance of at least $100,000. The board also authorized the chair to work with town counsel to craft and sign a written order to be served on the dog owner.

Why it matters: The board’s ruling creates legally enforceable restrictions on the dogs’ keeper and gives animal-control officers and the town a formal tool to seek court enforcement if the order is violated. Neighbors described repeated escapes and expressed concern about children waiting at a nearby school bus stop.

Brian Fitzpatrick, a Templeton resident who was injured in the June incident, testified under oath that the two dogs “charged the fence, broke open the gate, and immediately started attacking and biting my dog.” Fitzpatrick said he was thrown to the…