Mansfield Selectmen Determine Local Dog To Be A "Nuisance"

MANSFIELD, MA — A local dog has been deemed a nuisance following an incident where a neighborhood boy was chased and bitten.

Following a hearing and a vote taken by the selectmen Wednesday night, the Staffordshire bull terrier known as B.B. must remain on a leash while outside and safety lock on the doors to the owner’s home must be installed to prevent children from opening a door and letting the dog out.

In May, Animal Control Officer Jeff Collins responded to a report of a dog attack on Old Farm Road. Resident Heidi Solivan told Collins that B.B. chased and bit her son when he got off the school bus, according to a police report.

The owner of the dog, Megan Foley, said B.B. got out of the house after a 3-year-old child in the house opened a glass slider door.

During the hearing, the Solivans said they are more cautious if they think the dog is nearby.

In his assessment of the dog, Collins said B.B. did not show overt signs of aggression. While there were some questions about whether the dog was always on leash, including non-timestamped photos that showed her unleashed, Collins said some neighbors said they have seen her on leash while others did not.

Foley, her husband Dan Clemmey, and son Andrew Clemmey said their dog has often been around children and other animals with no issue. They said that the neighborhood children antagonize B.B., at times leaving garbage on their property line, cutting through their yard, driving ATVs nearby, and shooting B.B. bullets and arrows at the dog.

“I think it’s the situation about living next to the children. There’s the gang of kids and sometimes there’s no parental supervision, it’s very tight quarters. I have seen them laughing and joking. They say the kids are scared and that’s not what I’ve seen. It seems they’re playing games with this poor dog,” Andrew Clemmey said.

Foley said their dog is no longer off leash while outside and they have taken measures to make sure young kids can no longer open the doors at their house to the outside. There have been no incidents with B.B. since the start of summer, Foley told the board.

Foley and Clemmey were advised by the board to document and contact the police about any of the harassment they said is happening to their dog.

Image: File Photo