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Washington County panel affirms sheriff finding that dog "Winston" is vicious
Summary
The Washington County Public Safety Committee voted to affirm the sheriff’s determination that a dog named Winston is vicious, and authorized legal staff to prepare findings to be shared with the owners and the sheriff’s department.
The Washington County Public Safety Committee voted July 16 to affirm a determination by the sheriff’s office that a dog named Winston is vicious.
The committee’s vote, taken in open session after a closed session review, upheld the sheriff’s finding under county code provisions cited during the meeting. Committee members said they considered whether delivery workers had provoked the dog and concluded they had not; the committee was unanimous in its determination that Winston met the criteria for a vicious-dog finding.
The matter drew statements recognizing the Zern family’s attachment to the dog. Attorney Stern was tasked to draft a written summary of the committee’s findings. The committee authorized the chair to review and sign the summary when it is submitted; the document will be provided to the Zern family and to the sheriff’s department.
Committee members noted the owners had taken steps to mitigate risk but said those measures had not been effective to date. No civil penalties or follow-up enforcement actions were specified during the discussion.
The committee’s action affirmed the sheriff’s determination; the meeting record shows the panel discussed provocation, mitigation steps, and the standard under county code before voting.
