Published: 8/3/2023 12:04:04 PM
DEERFIELD — The Select Board just recently chose to stick to its harmful dog classification for Theo, a 7-year-old terrific pyrenees, after getting a behavioral expert’s report.
Having formerly extended the dog hearing till it received the report, the Select Board purchased owner Kate Clayton-Jones to set up a fence embedded a minimum of 2 feet into the ground on her Greenfield Road property and offer evidence of insurance coverage of a minimum of $100,000 — or reveal a sensible effort of attempting to get the insurance coverage, which is likewise permitted under state law.
Despite the report, Select Board members Tim Hilchey and Carolyn Shores Ness — Trevor McDaniel stayed away due to missing out on the very first dog hearing in June — said they felt the 2 events on April 7 and May 10, in which Theo supposedly bit Deerfield Police Sgt. Jennifer Bartak and Patriot Properties staff member James King, were severe sufficient to require a “dangerous designation.” Clayton-Jones was not present throughout either event.
“I feel that there’s nothing that was presented to me that would change my opinion that the dog is dangerous because there’s no guarantee the owner won’t be there,” Hilchey said. “There’s no guarantee the dog won’t be outside the fence unsupervised and apparently that’s when the dog is triggered. It acts like a protector dog and that’s what’s happened twice now.”
Shores Ness said it is important that the fencing be preserved due to the fact that of the possible threat of Theo leaving and there are times where Clayton-Jones might not be home in the future.
“Who’s to say those conditions wouldn’t exist again? Somebody would be at risk,” Shores Ness said. “I feel like we need to have that requirement of fencing.”
Shores Ness at first just wished to enforce the fence condition due to the fact that she felt getting insurance coverage would be hard, however Town Counsel Matthew Provencher explained that evidence of a sensible effort would likewise be enough if Clayton-Jones is not able to discover an insurance coverage.
In the month given that the very first public hearing, Clayton-Jones has actually enhanced the fencing around the Greenfield Road property, which has actually been checked by Animal Control Officer Calin Giurgiu. She likewise said she has actually published cautions on her fence that Theo is an animals dog.
Jeremy Cohen, a lawyer representing Clayton-Jones, recommended the board consider Theo an annoyance dog rather, specifically due to the fact that “the consequence of violating the order is the same.”
The Select Board, nevertheless, stuck to its initial classification due to the fact that of how the 2 events played out and due to the fact that 2 town workers were supposedly bitten while they were working.
“These are two town employees that have gone to the property in the normal exercise of their duties,” Hilchey said, “and come back injured or fearing they’re going to be injured.”
The very first attack, on April 7, happened when Bartak was contacted us to the area for a report of a loose dog, which ended up being Theo. Upon showing up, Bartak said she knocked on the door of the residence and Theo rounded the corner. She talked calmly to him, however Theo started grumbling. As she was pulling back to her cruiser, Theo bit her left calf and after that “more aggressively” on her inner thigh. The injuries called for a journey to the emergency clinic due to the fact that of the depth of the bites and an anti-bacterial clean.
The 2nd event happened on May 10, when King approached your home to look at an authorization. King said Theo appeared friendly, however bit his leg when he walked around the rear end of your home to knock on another door.
Chris Larabee can be reached at [email protected] or 413-930-4081.
