MASSACHUSETTS -- Ed Kinsley, general manager of the “new” Mohegan Bowl Restaurant and Bar, requested an opening date of Feb. 8, with restaurant opening approximately two weeks later, at the Feb. 4 meeting of the board of selectmen. The board approved the bar request pending final approval by Cathleen Liberty, Health Agent.
Two dangerous dog hearings were also held during the board meeting.
Selectmen first heard from Kim Moberg, who described her encounter with a dog owned by Amy and Sean Hazzard of Worcester Road.
Ms. Moberg said she was jogging Nov. 20 when the Hazzards’ dog broke its tether/chain, chased her down and attacked her. She was bitten several times, spent an entire week in the hospital and contracted a bone infection due to the bites.
She is now forced to undergo physical therapy on her hand.
Moberg stated that she has run by the home on her usual route for the last eighteen months. Every time she has run by the home in the last six months, the dog barks “viciously.”
When the dog attacked her from behind, she stood still and screamed until the owner came out and called the dog off. According to Moberg, the dog had never been loose before.
Amy Hazard spoke on behalf of her dog, Max, a three-and-one-half-year-old 60-lb mixed breed. The dog managed to break its rubber-coated cable and attack Moberg.
Since the attack, the Hazards say they have used a stronger tether, obtained a kennel and have made sure the dog is never out of the kennel when unattended. In regard to the dog barking, Hazard stated, “He’s a dog, he barks at everything.”
Michelle LaFleche, animal control officer, also recommended training for the dog to alleviate aggressive behavior.
Selectman Robert Miller was concerned about Ms. Moberg’s long-term medical conditions.
Selectman Mark Dowgiewicz said he was “not comfortable leaving a dog in an area with children around.”
Selectman Deborah Keefe presented a motion to allow the dog outside only when it was in the kennel, to have the owners take dog-training classes and to have the dog evaluated by a vet or animal behaviorist. The motion passed unanimously.
Selectman also heard from Fran Kittridge, who told selectmen her granddaughter, Skyler, 10, had been bitten on the left hand and arm by a dog on Day Street while walking to Sunday school. Ms. Kittridge said she had just helped Skyler out of her car when the pit bull attacked.
“If it hadn’t been for her coat and gloves, the bite would have been more severe,” she said. “As I tried to get the dog away from Skyler, it came around behind me, and then the owner’s friend appeared and took the dog away.”
The dog’s owner, Christy Pinhoperdigao (WHO IS A TEACHER), had been advised by Ms. LaFleche to muzzle the dog, erect an outdoor kennel and install a gate on her porch, all of which she has done.
[Other news outlets list her name as being Christy Pinho-Perdigao]
Father Adam Reid, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, spoke about past incidents with the animal and his concern for schoolchildren attending St. Ann’s School on Day Street.
There was one other occasion where an adult male was bitten by the dog during a church social. A mail carrier refused to deliver to the address for fear the dog might bite so Pinhoperdigao, a schoolteacher, purchased a mailbox and had it placed on the outside of the property.
Father Reid expressed his concerns over the dog being in such close proximity of the church, school, youth center, food pantry and parking lot. There is a sidewalk across the street that is very busy at times and became a major concern due to the volume of people who use it.
Mr. Miller said, “There are hundreds of people going up and down that street. As the Board of Selectmen, we are charged with ensuring the well-being of Webster citizens. The dog should be relocated.”
Heather Sanford, a witness for Pinhoperdigao, stated that she has three children who play with the dog all the time and that the dog is gentle and passive and they always make sure the gate is closed.
Another witness whose children attend St. Anne’s School expressed his concern over the issue. “I am sure the dog is great with the kids it lives with. It doesn’t live with my kids and it doesn’t know my kids.”
The board voted unanimously to remove the dog to the custody of animal control for placement elsewhere. Father Reid even volunteered to pay for two weeks of kenneling until a new owner/location could be found.
(Telegram.com - Feb 9, 2013)
