ADAMS, Mass. — The Select Board on Wednesday declared three dogs "dangerous" and to be restrained after a May dog attack that resulted in the death of Kasey, a 22-year-old Chihuahua mix.

 

The board heard from officials and from the related neighbors whose dogs were involved.

 

Richard Thayer, of East Hoosac Street, provided testimony of the May 10 altercation, with his partner, Cheryl Woodard, occasionally interjecting for clarification. Their dog Kasey was attacked by three dogs owned by his next-door neighbor and Cheryl's brother Ronnie Woodard and his partner, Caroline Kennedy.

 

Despite the "traumatizing" nature of the attack, which has led to him needing behavioral health service, Thayer advocated for an alternative remedial action rather than having the animals removed from the home.

 

Thayer filed the complaint against Xena, Dozer, and Priscilla, which are Rottweilers and Rottweilers mixes. 

 

During testimony from the involved parties, several key details remained unclear, including which dog first bit Kasey and which animal was the aggressor.

 

Thayer had reported that Kasey was killed by Dozer, a German shepherd-Rottweiler. Before the attack, he said Kasey was unleashed outside and getting along with two dogs he believed to be Xena and Bull, Xena and Dozer's puppy.

 

However, later he acknowledged that Xena, an American Rottweiler, and Dozer look very similar and that he could have confused the dogs' names.

 

Thayer claimed that Woodard and Kennedy's third dog, Dozer, or Xena "came crashing through" the screen door and attacked Kasey. 

 

Despite efforts by Thayer and Woodard to separate them, the situation escalated, with the two other dogs joining in the attack — and "finished Kasey off" while she was on the ground.

 

Kennedy claimed that Dozer would never go after Kasey and that Xena was the dog that burst out of the house as a protective act over her puppy, Bull. She repeatedly described Xena as highly protective with a history of being reactive around certain people and of guarding her household and puppy.

 

Her belief that Xena's behavior was not out of aggression but was protective over Bull, was indicated in Animal Control Officer Kimberly Witek's report from May 11.

 

Police Chief Timothy Sorrell read Witek's report during the board meeting, which outlined how she visited Kennedy and Woodard's home to see their four dogs. 

 

During the visit, the couple's three adult dogs Dozer, Xena, and Priscilla jumped on her without showing aggression. 

 

However, when Kennedy brought out the 5-month-old puppy, Bull, Xena tried to bite Witek's hand as she reached for the puppy, which she interpreted as protective behavior rather than outright aggression. 

 

The board deemed Xena, Dozer, and Priscilla as dangerous dogs and ordered that the owners have the dogs tethered while outdoors in an open space, be confined to a locked pen that's secure or muzzled when not in the pen. 

 

Additionally the board required that the dogs continue to be licensed and vaccinated and required the animals be spayed and neutered within the next six months.