Eastham Select Board Declares Dog Dangerous, Approves New Town Manager Deal

EASTHAM -- March 9, 2026, Eastham Select Board unanimously declares a husky-mix dangerous and approves incoming town manager's contract. The board voted 5-0 at its March 9 meeting to deem Zuk, a husky-shepherd mix owned by Mary Ellen Kelly of 80 Linda Lane, a dangerous dog under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 140, following testimony about attacks on a Chihuahua that required veterinary care and the killing of two ducks in a neighbor's fenced yard. Animal Control Officer Emily Dstra recommended the designation and a set of confinement orders, including a chain-link kennel with a roof embedded two feet into the ground, mandatory muzzling with a 300-pound tensile-strength tether off-premises, and fines of $500 and $1,000 for first and subsequent violations. In a separate action, the board approved a three-year contract for incoming Town Manager Rich Bienvenue at a 3 percent annual raise, effective before July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029. Town Manager Bienvenue also briefed the board on a level-service operating budget requiring an override of approximately $755,000, with collective bargaining costs pushing the projected tax increase on a median-valued home to $395, or 6.8 percent, before school costs are factored in.