Dangerous Dog To Be Euthanized After Vicious Attack

 HARWICH – “The terror I was feeling was beyond imagination. I was fearing for my life,” Nancy Fallon told the select board when recounting a dog attack that took place on Jan. 12 while she was walking her dogs along Betty’s Lane.

The emergency room doctor said the puncture to her face was one-quarter to one-half inch from her jugular vein, and she was lucky to be alive, Fallon said in a hearing held before the select board on Jan. 30. 

 A Wisdom Road resident, Fallon said she was out walking her dogs when she saw two unleashed dogs running from the nearby cranberry bog toward her. One of those dogs, Milo, a 60-pound pitbull mixed breed, knocked her down and bit into her neck. The other dog, Astrid, was attacking one of the two smaller dogs, Archie, who was leashed and walking with Fallon.

 “I was screaming for help and wrapped my arm around my neck. Milo also aggressively bit my arm and ankle,” she said.

Milo and Astrid are owned by Jeffery Wolf of 11 Betty’s Rd. 

Fallon said MiIlo bit into her neck and remained on top of her and would not let go. When Wolf arrived he used his hands to try to pry Milo away from Fallon, suffering cuts to his hands in the process.

Wisdom Road resident Rob Mador testified that as he was coming home from work he saw what he initially thought was two people wrestling in the street, but as he approached he realized Fallon was being attacked by a dog and the dog owner was trying to free the victim. Mador stopped to help and led Fallon to the safety of his truck until the fire department and police arrived. 

“I was glad I was able to be there at the right time,” Mador told the select board. “Coming down Route 124, if I had hit the traffic light, Nancy would have been dead,” Mador said. 

“Rob Mador was an absolute hero that day,” said Fallon.     

 Fallon was bitten in the neck, arm and leg. She was taken by ambulance to Cape Cod Hospital and received 19 stitches. Since the attack she has had six doctor appointments for the wounds, including with a plastic surgeon. She has also reached out to a therapist because she continues to have nightmares about the attack.

She told the select board that Wolf did not have the dogs on leashes and did not have voice control of them.

“I implore Mr. Wolf to do the right thing,” she said. “If he can’t, I ask the select board to act for the safety of the neighborhood and the residents of Harwich.”   

Fallon’s dog Archie, a mini poodle, received two puncture wounds from Astrid, Wolf’s other dog. Wolf told the board he rescued Astrid a couple of weeks ago and had no history or vaccination records on the dog, which was not licensed. 

Milo has a bite history. In April 2023, the dog attacked an 8-year-old child and his mother. Wolf said at that time that the child was fighting with his younger brother and the dog, which was staying with the family, sought to protect the younger brother.

Select Board member Jeffrey Handler wanted to know if Wolf had reached out to Fallon. Handler said the medical treatment will cost a lot of money, and he wanted to know if Wolf had offered to help pay those bills. 

“He has not,” said Fallon.

 “I’m very, very sorry this has happened. I was horrified for Nancy,” said Wolf. “I’ve lost complete trust in my dogs. I don’t know what to do. But I still love them. I don’t believe Milo attacked her so viciously. I don’t think I can have them any more, but I don’t want to see them killed. I’m scared of what they can do.”

 In her professional opinion, Animal Control Officer Jennifer Harrington said both dogs should be deemed dangerous. Milo should be euthanized and Astrid confined indoors and when outdoors placed in a securely enclosed locked pen, wear a muzzle and be restrained when moving about, she said. Harrington also recommended, should Wolf be allowed to keep the dogs, that a $100,000 insurance policy be obtained against any claims against the dogs. She said Wolf is not a responsible dog owner and should retain a professional trainer to work with the dogs. 

 An emotional Wolf said he could not afford to meet the conditions.

“I don’t feel these are bad dogs,” said board member Michael MacAskill. “There are bad dog owners. The victim is lucky to be alive.”

 The board voted unanimously that Milo should be humanely euthanized at the owner’s expense by Feb. 4. There were mixed sentiments about Astrid. The board agreed Astrid should not remain with Wolf. Harrington cautioned that if the board determined the dog was dangerous or a nuisance, it would block any chance of Astrid being adopted. The board continued that decision to Feb. 6, so Harrington could bring the dog to the Animal Rescue League for an evaluation and determination on adoptability