Barre Select Board unanimously declares pit bull dangerous, orders 90-day compliance

BARRE -- March 19, 2018, Barre Select Board unanimously classified a pit bull named Nico as a dangerous dog after two separate biting incidents at 612 Wheelwright Road. The board, following a 90-minute public hearing that included testimony from the town's animal control officer, the dog's owners, and a police official, voted unanimously twice, first to impose the dangerous designation and then to set specific containment conditions including a 12-by-12-foot enclosed kennel with a solid floor and roof, a six-foot non-retractable leash, a basket-type muzzle whenever the dog is outdoors, a $100,000 liability insurance policy, and current licensing for all dogs on the property. A November 2017 attack left one police officer bitten on the thigh and prompted a gunshot that struck a curb; a March 9, 2018 attack sent a neighbor to the hospital with injuries including a possible concussion and possible broken nose after the dog knocked her to the ground. Owners have a 90-day deadline, approximately June 18, to achieve full compliance or the dog will be removed from the property, and the board made clear a second incident under the dangerous designation would trigger euthanasia.