LEYDEN — After more than an hour of testimony and discussion, the Selectboard imposed strict restrictions on a dog that attacked a person, but spared the animal’s life.
The Selectboard ordered the hearing after Athena, a 10-year-old Kangal shepherd dog, escaped the grasp of her owner, Neil Ainsworth, and knocked Margaret “Peggy” Brown to the ground. The dog bit Brown several times on Aug. 3, leaving her with eight puncture wounds that required stitches, according to an incident report written by Regional Animal Control Officer Kyle Dragon.
After hearing testimony from Ainsworth; Karen Smith, his wife; Brown; Bob Anson, Brown’s partner; and several others at the meeting, the Selectboard opted for a strict set of conditions for Athena that are available under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 140, Section 157. Restrictions include having the dog be humanely confined to Ainsworth’s properly, which includes an outdoor enclosure; be humanely restrained and muzzled while outside; and requiring the owners to provide proof of liability insurance of at least $100,000.
Beyond Massachusetts General Laws, the Selectboard also ordered that Ainsworth put Athena on a body leash, which attaches to the handler, when she is outside and Ainsworth must construct a stockade as a “visual barrier” to the road. Both the enclosure — which must have some sort of roof, like chicken wire — and the visual stockade must be completed by Sept. 13. Ainsworth and Smith said they have already been muzzling and keeping Athena secured on their property.
Anson requested Athena, who has no prior attack history, be euthanized because he and Brown have been unable to go on their daily walks due to fear of potentially being attacked again.
“It does me no pleasure to suggest that as exercise of the law,” Anson commented. “We try to exercise every day. … We cannot do that because of this incident.”
Ainsworth said that as a Kangal shepherd dog, Athena is a guard dog by nature and made a poor decision to attack Brown.
“A lot of it is she was born to be a livestock guide — she guards us,” Ainsworth said. “She’s made to think on her own. Sometimes her thinking is screwed up, just like people.”
Working through possible conditions, Selectboard Chair Bill Glabach said euthanasia was the last possible option and suggested the board instead impose conditions on Athena’s confinement.
“It’s certainly a tough decision. … I’d hate to euthanize a dog,” Glabach said. “The easiest solution is to put the dog down, but if you’re willing to keep it out back and build a pen … and get away from that front yard.”
Fellow Selectboard member Katherine DiMatteo agreed with Glabach and suggested a construction timeframe of two weeks for the enclosure because there is “high concern.”
“I realize that’s a lot to ask of somebody,” DiMatteo said. “But it’s also a lot to ask of everyone to wait three or four weeks to have the situation resolved.”
Ainsworth and Smith agreed to the conditions, adding that Athena will only be outside if Ainsworth is outside with her on the body leash or if she is constrained to a cable.
“We are willing to do that for everyone’s safety,” Smith said. “We don’t want this to happen again. We want our neighbors to be safe and we want Athena to be safe. … We don’t want to kill her to make our neighbors safe.”
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.