Council Votes 7-1 to Euthanize Dog Ruled Dangerous

Select Board · Meeting of September 14, 2026

Southbridge Town Council votes 7-1 to euthanize a dog ruled dangerous after repeated attacks. The council first found the dog, owned by Alexander Wolfel and named Hazy, dangerous under state law by a vote of 8-0 with Councilor Kelly abstaining, then voted to euthanize it under one of seven statutory remedies. Councilor Daniel, who voted yes, said, "I don't feel good tonight.

Do I think I made the right decision? I do." Councilor Adams cast the lone no vote on euthanasia; the owner has 10 days to appeal to district court. Earlier, the council unanimously confirmed Colin Matthews and Joshua Thomas as permanent fire lieutenants and voted 9-0 to rejoin the South Central Massachusetts Partnership for Public Health Excellence, a regional coalition funded by roughly $504,742 in state grant money.

The council also approved three police department invoices totaling $747.78 and adopted the town manager's FY27 goals and evaluation framework 9-0.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,329 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of September 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.