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Foxborough Select Board finds dog 'dangerous,' orders confinement, muzzle, leash and $100,000 insurance
Summary
After a public hearing on repeated dog-on-dog incidents, the Select Board determined that Enzo meets state criteria for a dangerous dog and required secure confinement, muzzling and leashing off‑property and homeowner liability insurance of at least $100,000.
The Foxborough Select Board voted Feb. 4 to determine that a neighborhood dog, Enzo, meets state criteria to be classified as a "dangerous dog" and imposed conditions on the animal's keeper.
Animal Control (Casey) told the board that Enzo has been involved in multiple incidents, citing an attack on Jan. 4, 2025, that left a neighbor’s dog (Finley) with puncture wounds requiring veterinary care and at least two prior encounters (January 2023 and an August incident) that also caused injury. Casey recommended confinement to the premises, muzzling and leashing when the dog is off the owner’s property, and that the homeowners carry an insurance policy of at least $100,000 to cover potential future incidents.
Neighbors read statements into the record describing a street with many children and dogs and said they were fearful for child and pet safety. Kelly Sweeney, Finley’s owner, said she had not walked her dog at night since the Jan. 4 incident and asked for a formal intervention to ensure safety.
Enzo’s owners (Sam and Rob) apologized, said Enzo slipped out of the house while they were carrying groceries, reported that they paid the immediate veterinary bills and described steps taken to reduce risk (trainer work, plans to complete fencing, repairs to a door). They disputed that every prior event was identical, describing at least one incident in which an unleashed dog approached their dog.
During deliberations Animal Control and several residents stressed that muzzling can prevent puncture injuries even when dogs interact quickly. The board moved and approved a determination that Enzo is a dangerous dog and attached the following conditions drawn from state recommendations: secure confinement on the owner’s premises (indoors or within a securely enclosed outdoor area), muzzling and leashing at all times when off the owner’s property, and maintenance of homeowner liability insurance of at least $100,000. The board closed the hearing after the vote.
The determination invokes statutory criteria that guide the town’s authority for dangerous-dog measures; the decision is regulatory and not criminal. The ruling includes specific compliance expectations for the owner and will be enforced by the town’s animal-control office.
Next steps: the owner must comply with the confinement, muzzling, leashing and insurance requirements or face further town enforcement actions. The town’s animal-control officer will monitor compliance.
