Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select Board finds dog ‘Moose’ dangerous and orders euthanasia after multiple bites
Summary
After hearing animal control’s report and victims’ testimony about an October 10 attack and prior incidents, the Select Board voted to classify a neighborhood dog named Moose as dangerous and ordered euthanasia. The Greenspan family said children were traumatized; the owner said she could no longer manage the animal.
The Select Board on Nov. 5 voted to classify a neighborhood dog named Moose as a dangerous dog and ordered the animal euthanized after a public hearing that detailed multiple bite incidents.
Animal-control officer Casey presented the town’s account, saying the brown-and-white male boxer had a long history of running loose and prior bites, including an earlier incident on Jan. 18, 2023. Casey said the dog had now been involved in separate attacks that sent one adult for stitches and injured two small children, and that the owner had received multiple citations for the dog running at large. "This dog has been ongoing, constantly running loose," Casey said, describing failed attempts to contain the animal and the dog’s escalating behavior despite training and prior citations.
Victims’ attorney Ryan Hawkins told the board the family had been traumatized: "The incident really impacted the family and their small children; they're still dealing with it," Hawkins said, describing follow-up medical checks and school support for the children.
The owner, identified in the hearing as Laura Monero, told the board she could not continue caring for the dog and was exploring rehoming options. Animal-control staff advised that because the dog had bitten multiple people and could not be reliably contained, rehoming was not realistic during the required quarantine and that public safety considerations made euthanasia the recommended enforcement outcome.
After closing the public hearing, the board moved and voted to determine Moose a dangerous dog and then to order euthanasia. The meeting record shows the motions passed; specific mover/second names and an exact roll-call tally were not provided in the transcript minutes. The board also noted the statutory basis for the hearing under Mass. General Law chapter 140 §157 (nuisance/dangerous dog provisions).
The board asked staff to relay condolences and support to the Greenspan family and to notify relevant offices about next steps for enforcement and recordkeeping. The Select Board’s order is an enforcement action under town animal-control procedures; any appeal rights or timelines were not specified in the hearing record.
The board closed the item and moved on to other agenda business.
