Selectmen Take Action Against Pit Bull After Two Biting Incidents
Selectmen decided to test the dog for aggression before deciding if it should be banished or euthanized.
Selectmen last night voted to get Mocha, a pit bull living on Clover Hill Drive, tested for aggression after officials say he bit two different people within six weeks.
Animal Control officer Erik Merrill said the first incident happened on May 2 when a neighbor, Rose Marchand, entered the home after Mocha's owner, Yvonne Lee, invited Marchand over to get instructions for taking care of Mocha while Lee was on vacation.
Upon entering the home and opening the door a crack, Mocha pushed through the door and bit Marchand on the hand. She needed to receive seven stitches. Marchand reported to Merrill that Lee told her Mocha had bitten before when they lived in another town.
The second and more serious incident, Merrill said, happened June 12 after Cheryl Green and her husband were doing some tree removal at Lee's house. Green told police she had entered into a fenced in area to remove some brush, but Lee thought Green had left the property and let the dog out into the fenced in area.
Green was bitten on her left forearm with numerous puncture wounds, some as deep as muscle, and potential broken bones, Merrill said. The wound was bloody, Merrill said, and very painful. Green was transported to Lowell General Hospital by ambulance after the incident, he said.
Lee, who has had the dog for 7 years, since he was a puppy, said he is very territorial and shows aggression while in his home or in the car. Lee said she has lived in town for a year and a half. Lee said she has brought Mocha to a number of trainers to try to fix the problem.
Merrill said he was concerned because the attacks were unprovoked.
"After seven years of training and the dog still doesn’t get it...Two bites in six weeks, that’s unacceptable. There's no need for a bad dog in town," he said.
Selectmen debated on whether to banish the dog immediately.
"You have a dog you admit is very protective of its territory, but you’ve never had a sign posted about it, knowing you have this dog ... There are children in the area who might innocently walk into your property and be attacked by a dog they didn’t know was back there," said Board of Selectmen Chairman Jon Kurland. "I'm concerned when you say it's aggrestive in the car and it's barking and I'm wondering what would happen ... if he bolted through the door and attacked a passerby in the parking lot."
Lee said the dog often attacks out of fear for its safety. Selectman Matt Hanson said he felt as though the dog should immediately be banished.
"I don’t care if the dog is scared, if it's attacked someone, that’s a problem," he said. "We have to think about public safety and whether it attacks out of fear or aggression, the end result of the same."
Selectman Jim Lane said the dog owners haven't done enough, soon enough.
"What bothers me is when Ms. Lee said if the dog gets loose, it's going to bite, and that’s from an owner," he said. "So I'm not going to sit by and wait for the dog to bite again. I think we should have the dog removed the town."
Kurland said just removing Mocha from town would make him another town's problem.
Kurland proposed testing the dog at the Lowell Humane Society for temperment, with the results reported back to the Board of Selectmen. Kurland said if the dog is determined to be vicious, selectmen may decide to banish or euthanize Mocha. Selectmen Pat Wojtas and George Dixon agreed with the proposal. Hanson and Lane both voted against the measure.
As part of the agreement, in the mean time before the dog is tested, Lee has to make sure Mocha wears a muzzle whenever he is outside the home, including in the fenced in back yard. If Mocha is seen without a muzzle, he will be euthanized.
The hearing was continued to the Board of Selectmen's July 16 meeting to hear the results of the temperment test.
Donna Reed
9:14 am on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I agree with Mr. Kurland, banning the dog would do one of two things....it would simply make it another town's problem, OR it would open the possibility of the dog being "adopted" by someone who would use the dog's aggressive behavior to his/her advantage...ie: dog fighting, or possibly using him as an "attack dog". If the present owners are willing to put a muzzle on the dog whenever it leaves the house, whether it be to it's fenced in area, OR the car, AND if they are willing to muzzle it when ( or before) an "unknown" person comes onto their property, why not let them try that? After all, the owner says it's been here for a year and a half...it seems THAT time has been without incident, correct? Of course, the FIRST time it is seen outside WITHOUT it's muzzle....then they forfeit the dog, manner to be determined if and when necessary. As long as they are willing to comply, I think they deserve another chance, and THAT is a better alternative for both dog, owner AND residents.
Paul
9:26 am on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I wonder if that is enough to placate the neighbors, or will solve the problem. Even with best intentions there is always the chance the dog will get loose and cause bodily injury or death to a person. The temperment evaluation seems a bit ridiculous considering what has already transpired.
jtalexander
12:24 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I agree with Paul, two instances within 6 weeks means there is a problem. I absolutely have a problem with the approach. The dog has proven to be a danger and should be removed or euthanized.
Will Wagner
2:41 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I love dogs and I hesitate to suggest euthanization for any dog, but I think that this dog is definitely a problem. On thing that I do want to point out is that the fact that this dog is a pit bull is incidental. The problem is not the breed, but the dog and it's (lack of) training and socialization. There are plenty of sweet, socialized, loving and lovable pit bulls out there.
Joe S.
6:37 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Agreed. Muzzle the dog and try to fix the problem. Don't put it down.
Sunny
7:37 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I don't believe that the owners have good training to have (own) the pit bull or any dog. The condition of pit bull wearing a muzzle when he's outside in the fenced yard. The owners of dog should be home at time when the dog is outside. What about the dog wearing muzzle inside the house when someone comes to the front door? Are children in the house?
A few years ago, a group of pet dogs attack and kill sheep in nearby town, the vet determine that each dog had to be euthanized due to its vicious behavior. Dogs involved were poodle, terrier, golden retriever, etc. but not pit bull.
Susan Julian Gates
12:02 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
I am sad to say that if I was on the BOS I would vote to euthanize this dog. Contrary to what people have been posting, this breed is responsible for a highly disproportionate number of bites and deaths. Insurance companies make their reckons based on numbers, not emotion. I feel very sorry for the neighbors, as well as the owner. I am glad for the warnIng. I will avoid the street and pray no one else is harmed.
Will Wagner
5:39 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Susan,
I agree with the statement regarding the selectmen, however your statement regarding the breed is unfortunately misinformed. Pit bulls, as a breed are not as bad as you make them out. The problem is almost always the owners. 1- Pit bulls have been bred in some cases as fighting dogs. Which means they were picked for (bad) temperment and/or trained/abused to increase their aggressiveness. 2- Pit bulls, like Dobermans and Rottweilers require a STRONG training and a FIRM (but loving) owner.
On the other hand... like people, there are some dogs who are just "bad". (we had one when I was growing up and it was not one of the "danger breeds")
So... making judgements based solely on the breed is a poor choice. I have several friends with pittys who are the most loveable lugs out there.
Will Wagner
5:43 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
oops... apparently, I dropped a line from my cut and paste. Before the #1, I meant to have the following...
While it is true that pit bulls have been seen as aggressive, that is because:
Charles Dee
5:42 pm on Friday, October 12, 2012
I don't understand the ignorance of people. We had once owned a dog with a very bad temperment. So - we would NEVER let him off a leash and we knew to keep him away from situations. But he was not even a pit bull. Unfortunately the Pit bull breed is so screwed up. They need to be banned completely. It's one thing a dog bites - it's another thing when that type of dog bites to kill. I am all for the banning of pit bulls - where do i sign?