Mansfield Select Board declares dog "Veda" a nuisance; orders training, leash and front-door fixes
Loading...
Summary
After hearing reports of two attacks and multiple complaints, the Mansfield Select Board on May 21, 2025, declared a dog named Veda a nuisance animal and ordered the owners to enroll the dog in obedience training, keep it on a six-foot leash outside a secured yard, and take corrective steps to ensure the home's front door remains closed.
The Mansfield Select Board declared a dog named Veda a nuisance animal Wednesday and ordered its owners to enroll the dog in an approved obedience program, keep the dog on a six-foot leash outside a securely fenced area, and take corrective steps to ensure the home's front door remains closed.
The action follows testimony from Francesca Machayco, the town's animal control officer, who described two reported attacks: one on Feb. 13, 2025, when Veda allegedly attacked a dog named Oakley and caused puncture wounds that required a wound drain, and one on April 13, 2025, when Veda allegedly charged and injured another dog while on a walk near 8 Pine Needle Lane. Machayco told the board she placed Veda under two 10‑day quarantines after those incidents and that other residents have reported aggressive behavior that they did not formalize out of concern for retaliation.
The board held the hearing under the public process required for dog complaints and heard from the animal control officer, residents and the animal owner’s statements to the officer. Machayco told the board she had met with the owners and was recommending: that Veda be declared a nuisance (not a dangerous dog); that the dog be enrolled in an appropriate canine obedience program with documentation of enrollment and completion provided to animal control; that the dog be kept on a six‑foot leash at all times when outside of a securely fenced area and under the control of a person capable of restraining her; and that the owners take corrective actions to ensure the front door is secured when entering and exiting so Veda cannot gain access to the front yard.
A resident who said she lives on Dobby Drive described seeing Veda walk by regularly without incident and urged reasonable measures; the animal control officer told the board the owners reported prior escapes were caused by front doors left open and that Mr. Medeiros had said he secured the backyard after discussion with animal control. Board members pressed for specifics about past reports and whether more severe legal steps were warranted; Machayco said the evidence supported a nuisance designation rather than a dangerous-dog finding.
After public comment the board voted to close the hearing, then voted to declare Veda a nuisance and to order the recommended measures. Each motion passed on an affirmative voice vote.
The board asked staff to prepare a written decision documenting its findings and the ordered remedies. The animal control officer said she would provide the documentation showing quarantines and will accept training completion forms from a trainer to confirm compliance.
