Animal Matters hearing held on dog deemed vicious after December attack; written decision to follow

The Carroll County Animal Matters Board heard testimony on an appeal of a Humane Society determination that a dog named Tucker is a vicious animal after an attack on Dec. 30, 2024, that injured two neighborhood children.

The Humane Society asked the board to uphold its finding. Liz Moore, assistant county attorney, said the hearing concerned "an appeal from the decision made by the Humane Society in regard to the determination that the dog Tucker is a vicious dog." Dawn K. Andrew, animal control administrator for the Humane Society of Carroll County, told the board that the classification rests on the statutory definition and the severity of the injuries.

Both parents of one child who was bitten testified that the child required medical care; Andrew and Humane Society field staff introduced bite reports and an activity card into evidence. According to testimony and exhibits, one child required seven stitches. The two children were described in testimony as ages 5 and 10. The Humane Society entered the Carroll County Code, chapter 90, and a letter notifying the owners that Tucker was deemed vicious as part of its case. Andrew read the…