Littleton's Missing Dog Owner Never Filed for a Permit - Search Remains Strong

seven year-old husky, Bridgett, of Littleton has been missing since November of 2011. Panek claims the Town of Acton has forbidden her to post signs around the town, but Acton officials are stating otherwise.

According to Roland Bartl, Planning Director, Scott Mutch, Zoning Enforcement Officer, and Mike Gowing, Chair of the Board of Selectmen, Panek never made a request for a permit to post a sign in town.  

“The first I heard of this story was when WBZ News called me the other day,” said Bartl.  

According to Bartl, Panek has every right to apply for a permit that would allow her to post her sign throughout various places in town. Bartl said she would just have to take the sign down after the dog was found or when the case was considered closed. Bartl said that he was not aware of anyone in his department removing her signs from town (Acton officials never did remove the signs).

According to Panek, she made a phone call to the and ‘someone’ told her not to bother applying for a permit because she is not an Acton resident. Panek could not recall who told her this information.  

“I was told that because I wasn’t a resident that there was no point to apply for a permit,” said Panek. “Permits cost money and I don’t have tons so I took down the signs that were posted on public land and started asking people to post on their property.”   

Panek said she had trouble getting permission from Acton business owners to place signs in and outside their business because they were afraid of being fined.  

According to Scott Mutch, Zoning Enforcement Officer, business owners can file for a permit that would allow for a temporary sign to post for 45 days out of the calendar year.

“If a business wanted to come and get the permit for a temporary sign limited to 45 days out of the year, they could do that,” said Mutch. “If they wanted to help this lady out then that’s fine but they would not be permitted (if they used the full 45 days) to have another temporary sign this calendar year.”

• Click here for more information on Acton's sign laws.

Each Town employee was sympathetic to Panek’s situation and was a taken back by the allegations of the Town of Acton forbidding Panek from posting her signs on public property.   

The digital frontier:  

Despite hardships with posting signs around town, she has moved a lot of her efforts to various social media platforms. She has created a Facebook page that currently has 464 supporters. The page has interactive maps of where Bridgett was last spotted. She also said she received a tip from an Acton resident who saw the  

Panek believes Bridgett is somewhere near the Pratt’s Brook Conservation Area in Acton and is hopeful she will be reunited with her dog soon. Panek wants to make it clear to not approach Bridgett or call her name if you see her.

“If she feels hunted she’s going to take off,” said Panek.

She recently wrote in an :

“Another prime location would be Independence Rd., especially near the end of the street that backs up to the small strip of woods between Independence and say, Parker Village apartments or the townhouses.”

If spotted, contact Patricia at 978-952-6869 (home) or 978-853-4087 (cell).