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Police Chief Richard Tarsa explains his request that the board take action on a dog that has been attacking people.

Adams Selectmen Vote to Euthanize Dangerous Dog

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen voted on Wednesday to euthanize a dog that has attacked and bitten people over the last several years.   

The board went back and forth on different ways to restrain resident Sandy Spring's dog, described as a pitbull mix, but after classifying the dog as a dangerous animal, four selectmen voted to put it down because they felt the owner was not complying with restrictions placed by police and animal control officer.

"I am concerned this will happen again and I don't want this to happen to anyone else," Selectman John Duval said. "I don't want another child to be bitten and ... if it happens again how will we feel as a board?"

Police Chief Richard Tarsa said the owner has lived on both Enterprise and Winter streets and attacks have happened at both locations.

"Each interaction with the dog was found to be more aggressive than the one before and animal control has tried to work with Mr. Spring," Tarsa said. "The dog is aggressive and prone to cause physical harm to people ... there is no question that the dog is a dangerous dog."

He said the first recorded bite was when a 12-year-old boy visited the home. When the boy knocked on the door the dog, Sherlock, who was attached to a run, ran after the boy, knocked him down and bit him on the lower back.  

In July 2015, a man attempted to pet the dog when it was in the owner's vehicle that was parked at the Big Y and the dog bit him.

The animal control officer at the time found that the dog was not up to date on its vaccinations and the victim had to receive a series of rabies shots.

Later that fall, a more serious attack occurred. A woman visiting the home to pick up her daughter knocked on the door and the dog, who was tied to a lead, went after her as she tried to leave. The dog chased her, knocked her down and bit her on the hand, forearm and chest.

The dog was once again quarantined by animal control and was determined to be a dangerous animal and the owner was ordered to keep him muzzled and leashed.

Last summer, police were called after the dog was found loose and chasing people. Tarsa said officers found the front and back door of the house were wide open.

Animal Control Officer Kim Witek said they found the dog at the house and he growled at her and the police officer and began to charge at them. She said they would have been attacked if not for her catch pole.

She said they were able to lock the dog back inside the home and even though Spring violated the leash and muzzle order, they gave him the benefit of the doubt that the dog just somehow got out.

The dog then bit a 17-year-old boy while walking with Spring's child. The dog managed to bite the teen while muzzled.

Witek noted that Spring has not paid fines and has always been difficult to contact.

Spring, who attended the meeting, did not deny that his dog has bitten people but said they were all instances when people were coming on to his property. The dog was merely protecting his home, he said.

"Yes, my dog bit people ... my dog is as protective as hell and my dog loves me and protects my residence," Spring said. "In every one of them, he was either protecting my child or my home."

He said those who entered his home ignored "beware of dog signs" and the dog only attacked when people entered his home or tried to pet him, sometimes after he told them not to.



Spring said the dog acted naturally when the police visited but the officers had their batons out and were screaming at him.

"He has two people that he doesn't know screaming at him," he said. "This is his property and he was only protecting what he loves."

He also said that there were many discrepancies he felt were in the police reports and questioned their accuracy.

Selectman John Duval agreed that dogs can be protective of their homes but said the owner must be in control of the animal. He added many people have dogs and people often have visitors that don't result in attacks.

Spring's dog does not behave like other dogs and he has put no effort towards restraining it, said Selectman Arthur "Skip" Harrington.

"This is a dangerous dog and you are a dangerous owner because you are not confining him," he said. "You haven't made any effort it seems to really take care of your dangerous dog, that is the difference."

Spring left the meeting before the selectman began deliberation.

Selectmen Richard Blanchard and Joseph Nowak initially felt that although the dog was exceptionally violent, it was being protective. They suggested maybe new restrictions and arrangements for the dog.

Witek said she has tried to work with Spring and even convinced him to put up a kennel but he never came through with it.

She also added that the woman who was attacked suffered far greater injuries than were outlined in the report.

 

"She had to have a lot of surgery and she can't get any of her bills paid because his homeowner's insurance was canceled," she said. "She has limited use of her arm and it could have been worse. What if that was a young child instead of her?"

She added that there are a lot of children on Winter Street and she fears the dog will attack again.

Nowak said he did not feel he had the right to tell someone they had to put their dog down but thought they should give Spring a second chance. He motioned to force Spring to build an appropriate size kennel.

"I would like to give him one more chance and if he doesn't live up to it he basically does not care about his dog because he showed a lot of emotion here but we will see how he really loves the dog," Nowak said.

The other board members felt this was not enough and Duval, although hesitant, motioned to put all restraints they legally could on the dog and owner and if Spring did not comply, the dog would be put down.

Harrington thought the dog is too dangerous to be kept alive and presumed the owner will not comply.

"I don't really want to see this happen again and don't want to see a dog die because of it, but I don't think under its current stewardship anything is going to change," he said. "I don't think he has the will to change things and he has done nothing proactive to keep his dog from hurting people."

The board voted down Duval's motion and Harrington motioned to euthanize the dog. Nowak abstained because he felt he couldn't vote to kill someone's dog even though he agreed with the board.


Tags: animal control,   dogs,   

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Adams Sees No Races So Far

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — With less than a week left before nomination papers are due, there are currently no contested seats.
 
Only selectman incumbent John Duval has returned papers. Selectman Howard Rosenberg has decided not to seek re-election. 
 
Rosenberg, who was elected in 2021, said he has chosen not to run again to make room for younger candidates.
 
"I feel strongly, we need younger people running for public office,  as the future of our town lies within the younger  generation. The world is so fundamentally different today and rapidly changing to become even more so. I believe we need people who are less interested in trying to bring back the past, then in paving the way for a promising future. The younger generation can know that they can stay here and have a voice without having to leave for opportunities elsewhere," he said.
 
The only person to return papers so far is former member the board Donald Sommer. Sommer served as a selectman from 2007 to 2010 and before that was a member of the School Committee and the Redevelopment Authority. He ran unsuccessfully for selectman in 2019 and again in 2021 but dropped out of before the election.
 
Incumbent Moderator Myra Wilk and Town Clerk Haley Meczywor have returned papers for their respective positions.
 
Assessor Paula Wheeler has returned papers and incumbents James Loughman and Eugene Michalenko have returned papers for library trustees.
 
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