Weston Select Board orders German shepherd muzzled, continues dangerous-dog hearing

WESTON -- May 28, 2025, Weston Select Board issues interim muzzle-and-leash order for German shepherd with four documented incidents. The three-member board, chaired by Lise N. Revers, voted unanimously Wednesday to require the dog, known as Dodo, be fitted with a basket-type muzzle and held on a leash no longer than three feet by owner Wei Zhang or her son William Wong whenever it is outdoors, while the hearing continues to June 3. Animal control officer Karen O'Reilly documented incidents from January 2024 through December 2024, when the dog bit neighbor Jeanette D'Alessandro on Buckskin Drive, leaving her requiring emergency care and a tetanus series. Neighbor Janine Kerwin testified she has never seen the dog muzzled and now carries pepper spray on her daily walks. Town counsel Greg Corbo warned the owners on the record that violating the order could result in permanent confiscation of the dog and a five-year ban on owning any dog in Massachusetts. Board members split on whether to label the animal dangerous or a nuisance, a distinction with significant legal consequences, with that final decision deferred to the June 3 meeting.