EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA
Mobile Beta
Merrimack Valley
Owner must restrain and contain dog who bit neighbor
Published: February 27, 2007
NORTH ANDOVER - Minka the German shepherd has been temporarily banished to New Hampshire until her owner, Carol St. James, can build a fence at her North Andover home on Lacy Street.
Selectmen made the decision last night after hearing a neighbor's account of how the dog attacked and bit her.
Arlene Tarantino said she was coming home from work on Jan. 11 when the dog ran at her as she got out of her car, lunging and barking. When she tried to get inside, the dog bit her on the backside, which required treatment at Lawrence General Hospital.
Tarantino asked that the dog be permanently removed from the neighborhood.
St. James said her dog is never off its leash, and has not bitten anybody in the 11 years she has been in the neighborhood before the Jan. 11 incident.
She did agree to keep the dog at an Atkinson, N.H., home until she can build a fence when the ground thaws.
She also agreed to keep the dog on a leash at all times when it is outside the fence and to have it muzzled.
The dog was confined for 10 days after the bite and St. James was fined $25 for not having the dog on a leash.
Tarantino asked the selectmen to hold last night's hearing because she said the dog was dangerous in a neighborhood that includes young children and wanted more to be done to make everyone feel safer.
Two other neighbors said they also had seen the dog off of its leash in the neighborhood.
"The dog has been a problem for years," said neighbor Diane McGarvey.
McGarvey said the dog has frequently broken away from an older woman who walks it and has come into her yard where she has thrown baseballs to keep it away.
Animal Control Officer Susan Northam said she has never received complaints about the dog before this incident, although she has received a couple since the incident.
Selectmen plan to consult a veterinarian to know more about the dog's temperament and if the dog could be considered dangerous. If it is, the selectmen said they would consider not allowing the dog back in North Andover at all.
Selectman Mark Caggiano said the two different sides of the story make it difficult to make a decision in this case, but he said if the dog is involved in future incidents, the punishment could be more harsh, including euthanizing the dog to protect the safety of the neighborhood.
Selectmen made the decision last night after hearing a neighbor's account of how the dog attacked and bit her.
Arlene Tarantino said she was coming home from work on Jan. 11 when the dog ran at her as she got out of her car, lunging and barking. When she tried to get inside, the dog bit her on the backside, which required treatment at Lawrence General Hospital.
Tarantino asked that the dog be permanently removed from the neighborhood.
St. James said her dog is never off its leash, and has not bitten anybody in the 11 years she has been in the neighborhood before the Jan. 11 incident.
She did agree to keep the dog at an Atkinson, N.H., home until she can build a fence when the ground thaws.
She also agreed to keep the dog on a leash at all times when it is outside the fence and to have it muzzled.
The dog was confined for 10 days after the bite and St. James was fined $25 for not having the dog on a leash.
Tarantino asked the selectmen to hold last night's hearing because she said the dog was dangerous in a neighborhood that includes young children and wanted more to be done to make everyone feel safer.
Two other neighbors said they also had seen the dog off of its leash in the neighborhood.
"The dog has been a problem for years," said neighbor Diane McGarvey.
McGarvey said the dog has frequently broken away from an older woman who walks it and has come into her yard where she has thrown baseballs to keep it away.
Animal Control Officer Susan Northam said she has never received complaints about the dog before this incident, although she has received a couple since the incident.
Selectmen plan to consult a veterinarian to know more about the dog's temperament and if the dog could be considered dangerous. If it is, the selectmen said they would consider not allowing the dog back in North Andover at all.
Selectman Mark Caggiano said the two different sides of the story make it difficult to make a decision in this case, but he said if the dog is involved in future incidents, the punishment could be more harsh, including euthanizing the dog to protect the safety of the neighborhood.
"Dogs aren't more important than people," he said.
