Dog Ordered Confined After Killing 13 Chickens

CHATHAM – After reportedly killing 13 chickens, a West Chatham dog has been deemed a nuisance and ordered to be kept in a fenced-in area when outdoors.

 The board also voted to compensate the owner of the chickens as required by the town’s animal control bylaw. Board members questioned the content of the bylaw and asked that it be reviewed.

 According to Animal Control Officer Diane Byers, the dog, a husky named Sasha owned by Kenneth Nickerson, entered a chicken coop at 2058 Main St. owned by Jade Schuyler on Jan. 5 and killed all 13 chickens inside. When officers arrived they found the dog inside the coop, but could not determine how it gained access, she said during a hearing at the March 10 select board meeting. 

 The dog has a documented history of running loose, Byers said. Complaints of the dog running loose were filed with police five times last year, and police observed the dog tethered outdoors on just a leash seven times with no caretaker present. Since the chicken incident, the dog was seen running loose on Schuyler’s property on at least two other occasions, she said. Nickerson was issued a $50 citation for the loose dog infraction, but Byers said it has not yet been paid.

 She recommended that when outdoors, the dog be confined inside a run at least eight by 12 feet in size with a six-foot-high fence and a shelter.

 Byers recommended that the board declare the dog a nuisance as defined under state law.

 “I don’t think this dog is a dangerous dog,” she said. “I don’t think it’s aggressive. I don’t think it’s a threat to the public.” In attacking the chickens, the dog was “acting according to its prey drive,” she added.

 Sgt. Sarah Harris said if Nickerson does not comply with the order, a citation can be issued which, if not paid within 30 days, could be taken to Orleans District Court and become a criminal charge.

 Byers said she followed the procedure outlined in the town bylaw and obtained three appraisals of the value of the chickens, which were in “prime egg-laying condition,” and recommended the town pay Schuyler $530.83 for the loss of the birds.

 Board member Stuart Smith questioned why the town is responsible for compensating the owner for the chickens and not the owner of the dog.

 “It’s not our chickens, it’s not our dog that did the killing,” he said.

 Town counsel Jay Talerman said he did not know the background of the town bylaw but speculated that it may have been a reaction to a previous incident. 

 “There are some odd bylaws on our books,” commented board member Cory Metters. Chair Dean Nicastro suggested the town could explore seeking reimbursement from the dog owner.

 Smith asked that a discussion of the animal control bylaw be placed on a future agenda.