Mattapoisett dangerous dog complaint dismissed
Kathy Abbruzzetti, right, defends her dog during a Tuesday, June 23 Select Board meeting. Photo by Grace Roche
Kathy Abbruzzetti, right, defends her dog during a Tuesday, June 23 Select Board meeting. Photo by Grace Roche
MATTAPOISETT — After witness statements, thorough documentation and testimonies by Animal Control Officer Luke Mello and the owner, a dangerous dog complaint has been dismissed.
The Select Board not only deemed the dog not dangerous, but questioned if the complainant's dog was in fact dangerous.
The complaint said Marcello and Kathy Abbruzzetti’s dog Theo bit another dog, Moonface, in a Feb. 1 incident at Washburn Park in Marion.
Kathy Abbruzzetti said her three-year-old rottweiler is a “gentle giant” and has no history of reacting aggressively to people or other dogs. Further, she said the other dog is aggressive, reactive, and instigated the February incident.
She said there have been several previous interactions between her dog and the complainant's, and each time the other dog growled, barred its teeth and lounged at Theo.
Both owners were walking their pets on a narrow, snowy path in February when they passed each other and their dogs had a skirmish. The Abbruzzettis didn’t believe either dog had been injured, despite the complainant's claim that Theo bit Moonface.
“No words were exchanged during this encounter, and neither dog displayed signs commonly associated with a bite injury, such as yelping or distress,” Kathy Abbruzzetti said.
Along with her testimony, she read several emails from fellow dog owners who know Theo and brought forward several witnesses.
Each said Theo has had friendly interactions with their pets and has displayed patience even with nippy dogs. They each also had negative interactions with the other owner, and reported incidents when Moonface lunged at their dog.
Mello also said in numerous interactions with Theo the dog was well-behaved, calm and friendly.
The Select Board unanimously decided not to brand the dog as dangerous and Vice Chair Jordan Collyer encouraged people to report incidents such as the ones they had with Moonface to display dangerous behavior patterns.
“I would strongly urge that if there has been an attack or any aggression towards your animal or yourself, that you file a dangerous dog complaint in the town in which the dog is housed,” Collyer said. “When there is a pattern of aggression, it needs to be dealt with, and walking away from it does not help.”
