Mansfield dog, Milo, is euthanized after biting two young people

By Sarah N. Mattero, Globe Correspondent

A Mansfield dog who bit two young people in separate incidents over the past two months was euthanized Monday afternoon, officials said.

“It’s an awful tragedy for everyone involved,” Town Manager Bill Ross said in a telephone interview. “No one likes to do this, but in this instance there isn’t any choice.”

Milo, a 3-year-old pointer-hound mix, was quarantined at the Mansfield Animal Shelter after attacking a teenage girl on Saturday. The 16-year-old girl was was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence after the incident, but her condition was not available on Monday.

Milo was put down around 1:30 p.m. by a licensed veterinarian in Mansfield, not at the shelter, according to animal control officer Jeff Collins. He estimated that the dog was about 35 to 45 pounds. The dog was euthanized after its owners signed over control of the animal to the town.

In the earlier attack, Milo bit a 6-year-old boy in January, according to Mansfield police. The boy needed more than 400 stitches to repair his injuries, said Olivier Kozlowski, chairman of the Board of Selectmen.

On Wednesday, Mansfield selectmen had ordered that the dog be put down, but the dog was allowed to stay with its owners during a 10-day appeal period. Ross said Milo was placed in the care of the Mansfield Animal Shelter and the euthanization was imminent.