Eastham Select Board Declares Dog Thor a Nuisance, Orders Neutering and Training by July 20

EASTHAM -- June 8, 2026, Eastham Select Board unanimously declares neighbor's dog a nuisance after nearly two years of attacks. The board voted 4-0 Monday to designate Thor, a large mixed-breed dog owned by Virginia Voros and David Carlson of 80 Milbro Avenue, a nuisance dog under MGL Chapter 140, Section 157, following a lengthy public hearing at Eastham Town Hall. Complainant Sandra Balf, a former animal control officer, testified that Thor attacked her Labrador Radar and herself on at least two occasions, in November 2024 and most recently on May 11, 2026, with the latter incident requiring three urgent care visits and leaving Balf briefly unconscious. Town Counsel Greg Corbo guided deliberations, clarifying that a nuisance designation gives the board broader discretion than a dangerous-dog finding to craft remedies. The board ordered Thor neutered and enrolled with an approved trainer by July 20, 2026, and required that he be muzzled and on a leash of no more than six feet whenever off the owners' property; Animal Control Officer Emily Dyster will verify compliance by that date and the board will reconvene in six months to assess results. Board member Rich Bienvenue, moving for the nuisance classification, said the board chose that designation because it "previously felt constrained by the dangerous designation" and wanted more flexible tools to protect both Radar and Thor.