HANOVER — The Selectboard will hold a public hearing on Monday regarding a potential update to the law governing fines for misbehaving dogs.
Under the proposal, penalties for dog owners would not change immediately, but in the future, increases in the fines would be set by state law rather than by town officials.
The review of the town’s dog fines was initiated following two biting incidents this fall involving the same Labrador retriever.
On Sept. 7, a man walking two dogs in front of the Hanover Inn encountered a group of pedestrians and was familiar with one of the individuals, Hanover Police Department Cpt. Michael Schibuola wrote in a Thursday email. The person the owner knew received permission to pet the Lab, but during the petting, the dog bit the acquaintance on the leg and hand.
The owners paid a $100 fine as a result of the attack.
The same dog struck again on Oct. 22, this time biting a stranger on Rope Ferry Road, Schibuola wrote. The Lab attacked a passing Dartmouth student, biting her on the left hip and right forearm. This time, a woman was walking the dog in question.
This second violation resulted in a $400 fine.
In both situations, the dog bite caused a minor puncture wound, and the victim received treatment at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
The Selectboard is taking up the proposal on rates and fees regarding nuisance, menace and vicious dog incidents based on a recommendation by the Hanover Police Department.
The update, if approved, would tie the town fines for dog-related offenses directly with state law, RSA 466:31, instead of relying on local officials to establish amounts.
“We are not making any ‘changes’ to the law, just merely reflecting the proper fine amount. We don’t have any direct say on those fine amounts,” Cpt. Michael Schibuola wrote in an email.
Under the state law, owners of a “nuisance” dog that disturbs public peace by barking for prolonged periods of time, or during the night, are required to pay a $25 fine when complaints filed to the police are confirmed.
Other behaviors categorized as nuisance pertain to property damage, such as digging, excreting, scratching or scavenging garbage.
A $50 fine results from incidents involving a “menace” dog, which growls and snaps at, or chases people off the owner’s property.
And a $100 fine comes as a result of “vicious” dog incidents, in which a dog bites or attacks a person or animal.
The fines quadruple if a second similar offense occurs within one year of the first incident.
The Hanover Police Department receives a handful of dog complaints a year on average, including two or three bites, Schibuola said. When there is a biting incident, police take statements from those involved, check the dog’s vaccination status and determine if a violation occurred.
“This will bring us into conformance with the state law. It’ll allow us to make sure that we’re able to use the resources that the law gives us to prevent, hopefully, or reduce, vicious, menacing or nuisance dog issues,” Town Manager Robert Houseman said in a recording of the Dec. 13 Selectboard meeting.
The public hearing is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. as part of the Selectboard’s regular meeting at Municipal Building 2nd Floor Boardroom, 41 S. Main Street, in Hanover. A Zoom link is also available through the town website, hanovernh.org.
No citations so far in Norwich
In nearby Norwich, a new leash law went into effect in September. The animal control ordinance updated regulations that had remained untouched since 2005.
Since September, no fines or citations have been issued to dog owners, Norwich Police Chief Matthew Romei said. However, this time of year typically does not yield many dog-related complaints, with people spending less time outdoors.
Romei also noted that while the Department has handled dog-attack incidents, it doesn’t always mean that the dog is dangerous or violent by nature. For example, attacks can occur as a result of tire noise from cars, bikes or mowers, which can incite fear in dogs. But the incidents are isolated.
“The overwhelming majority of dog bites are not vicious,” he said.
There were 48 animal complaints in Norwich between July 2024 and June 2025, which could include non-dog-related issues, such as deer in the road, based on data provided by Romei. There were three animal bites total, in May, July and October.
It is at the Norwich officer’s discretion to decide how to handle each situation, which involves determining whether or not a citation is warranted based on context. There have been no citations issued since the ordinance was put in place.