By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — Thursday, a clerk magistrate will hold a hearing on the appeal of the Select Board’s order that a dog licensed to Michael and Kaylea Baker at 103 Main Street, Unit 12, be euthanized.
The clerk magistrate will determine whether the order issued by the Select Board was executed properly.
The order was issued on August 21 after the four members of the board who were present voted that the animal was a “dangerous dog.” They based their decision on the written police reports from North Reading and Woburn Police Departments and the oral testimony from NRPD and Floyd’s owner as well as testimony from an Andover woman whose 14-year-old dog was killed by Floyd after her dog was ripped out of her arms in the parking lot of PetSmart in Woburn last January by Floyd.
They also heard from one person who was bitten by the dog while attempting to separate her dog from Floyd and another person whose elderly dog was hurt in an attack by Floyd, both of which took place within the mobile home park grounds several months apart.
The Bakers subsequently hired legal counsel and appealed the order within the 10-day appeal period but took the dog out of town.
Since the town’s order stated that if an appeal was made the Bakers were required to surrender the dog to the town during the appeal period and the dog would be safely kenneled at the Bakers’ expense, the town sought, and was granted, an impoundment order.
“To protect the public from a dog that has been deemed dangerous, the Police Department and I have worked with Town Counsel to seek an impoundment order for Floyd during the period of appeal. That order was granted by the court on Thursday, September 14 and the Town took possession of Floyd that day,” stated Town Administrator Michael Gilleberto.
Floyd remains at the pound with access to food, water, and veterinary care.
