Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Control topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Charlton Select Board continues nuisance-dog hearing after neighbors cite repeated off-leash incidents
Summary
At a public nuisance-dog hearing, neighbors alleged repeated off-leash incidents and safety concerns involving a puppy owned by Mary Taylor; animal control reported multiple complaints and municipal citations. The board continued the hearing for 30 days to allow household changes to take effect.
The Charlton Select Board continued a nuisance-dog hearing on April 14 after neighbors complained that a puppy owned by Mary Taylor had roamed off leash, taken packages and repeatedly caused disturbances at the Katy Brook condominiums.
Animal control officer Emily Sears summarized a string of complaints beginning in December 2025 and continuing through early April 2026. Sears said town staff received multiple reports (December 5–24, 2025; December 29, 2025; March 3–31 and April 1, 2026), issued warnings and four municipal citations dated March 18–April 1, and attempted informal mediation with the owner before the hearing. Sears said the owner took the puppy to a three-week “board-and-train” program in January and that family members recently moved in to assist with care, but that off-leash incidents persisted earlier in the year.
Complainant Kate Zelnnerus of unit 201 testified she had experienced a series of incidents — including one on March 26 when she said the puppy jumped on her and put her hand in the dog’s mouth — and told the board she was concerned for other residents, visitors and pets. Zelnnerus said police had been involved on some occasions and that she had asked the condo association to enforce its rules.
Matthew Gear, who said he is Taylor’s son-in-law and has moved into unit 203 to help care for Taylor, told the board the family has been trying to manage training and care and that they would continue to provide supervision; he said they moved in about three weeks earlier and were working to reduce incidents.
Board members questioned whether the reported reduction in incidents since family members moved in represented a sustainable change. Animal control recommended compliance with leash and HOA rules and noted limits on remedies for private condo associations; the officer explained that removal by a condo board requires formal notice and potential court action.
After hearing testimony and questions from the board, a motion to continue the hearing for one month passed unanimously. The continuance gives the household time to demonstrate sustained compliance with leash rules and training plans; the board said further incidents during the continuance could prompt a return to a formal order or other action under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140 §157.
The hearing record includes notices, police reports and citation documentation submitted to the board. The board closed testimony at the April 14 meeting and will reconvene the hearing at a date to be determined within the continuance period.
