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 ordinance definition into the record: "a vicious animal is any animal that constitutes by its actions a physical threat to human beings, other domestic animals, or both."

The owners, Natalie Farris and Kyle Farris, said Tucker is a rescue dog they had owned about six months when the incident occurred. Natalie Farris described the home as having a fully fenced yard and said the attack occurred when she opened the front door and Tucker ran out. "Completely our fault, not my dog's fault," she told the board, while also asking that the board lift the requirement that Tucker be kept on a lead when in the family's backyard, arguing the yard is fully enclosed and the lead prevents the dog from exercising.

Humane Society staff and witnesses described repeated instances in which a smaller dog from the property had been returned to the house by neighbors. Samantha Kipe, field supervisor for animal control, testified she responded after a bite report was filed in March 2025 and summarized the account given by a neighbor that his children had knocked at the door to return a small dog, at which point Tucker ran through the front door and bit two children. Witnesses who live next door provided affidavits, photos of injuries, and testimony that their son and other children had repeatedly returned dogs to the property prior to the incident.

Board members questioned owners and witnesses about supervision, whether the dogs had prior incidents, the height and spacing of the fence, and post-incident steps taken by the owners. Testimony indicated the fence is approximately 4.5 feet high with roughly 8 inches between vertical members, and that Tucker is roughly an 85-pound Labrador–Great Dane mix, about three years old. The Humane Society said the owners were notified in writing (Exhibit B, dated 03/27/2025) and that county records did not show a current license on file until two days before staff followed up; the owners said they had purchased the license and provided veterinary information after the incident.

No formal roll-call vote or final decision was made in open session. The board closed evidence and testimony and retired to deliberate. During deliberations, a board member said, "We can't stress the severity of this case," and other members voiced concern that the dog remained at the residence after the incident and that the behavior could recur. A board member said on the record, "I would have told the humane society to seize this dog," reflecting the range of views expressed in deliberations. The board stated that a written decision would be issued following deliberation.

The hearing record accepted exhibits A through F, including the county code excerpt, a letter from the Humane Society, an activity card, and two bite reports prepared by the Carroll County Sheriff's Office. Counsel for the Humane Society asked the board to uphold the determination that Tucker is a vicious dog and to require continued restrictions: confinement, muzzling or other restraints when off the premises, microchipping after appeal exhaustion, and posted warning signage. The owners said they will comply with restrictions but requested that the board remove the requirement that the dog be tethered to a lead in the backyard so Tucker can exercise when supervised.

The board did not announce an outcome at the hearing. A written decision and any required orders or conditions will be issued to the parties following the board's deliberations.