[Zeus, a 160 lb. Newfoundland being fostered by Duxbury Animal Control, was recently attacked by three unleashed dogs on town-owned land.]

There’s a new committee in town and it’s looking to put a little more bite in Duxbury’s bylaws.

The Canine Committee was formed last week, and Mark Cleveland was sworn in as its chairman.  Cleveland believes his training as a biochemist might help him in his duties. A member of Citizens of Bay Farm, which has been the site of numerous complaints about dog waste, Cleveland is also the longtime owner of an elderly yellow Labrador retriever. “When I heard they were forming a committee about dogs, I thought I’d sign up,” said Cleveland from his office at Braintree Labs where he works as a scientist. He said the first meeting went well, and that the six-member board agreed that the goal for the committee would be to educate the public about proper dog etiquette. “We really need to work with dog owners and we’ll start with education because most people really are all about this town. Define the issues, define the problems, and then define the goals.”

The committee was formed at the behest of Town Manager Richard MacDonald, a self-professed dog lover and adopted person to three Maltese. In recent months, he’s received numerous complaints from residents about dog waste on town-owned properties and about uncivil dogs.

“I went to the Bay Farm area and walked only  100 yards and that’s all I had to do,” said MacDonald. “It was fairly warm and there was a strong odor. It was obvious from what I saw that we must address people not picking up their dogs’ droppings. I’ve been informed by town employees that it’s a problem on all town-owned properties.”

Cleveland said the primary problem has been with dog waste, but there have also been complaints of uncontrolled dogs.

“I’ve had dogs jump on me and my wife, who has an arthritic hip,” said Cleveland. “I’ve never quite understood why dog owners just stand there when it happens.”

Susan Curtis has had her own experiences with wayward dogs and their incorrigible minders. A member of the Friends of the Duxbury Animal Shelter, she’s been fostering Zeus, a 160-pound Newfoundland abandoned on Powder Point six months ago. Due to his size, nature and abandonment issues, Zeus has required careful training before the town adopts him out. One day while walking him on town-owned property, three unleashed golden retrievers from Kingston attacked Zeus. In the melee, Curtis held fast to Zeus’ lead though she might have easily been injured herself.

“It could have set his training back, but he was awesome,” said Curtis. “He’s a big dog and could have really been hurt one of the others, but he restrained himself.”

According to Curtis, none of the dogs had injuries requiring medical assistance.

Curtis said she knows Duxbury loves its dogs and cares for them well. But, she said, for the very few who aren’t responsible dog owners, Duxbury’s bylaws have no teeth to correct them.

“There is a handful of people who don’t control their dogs and let them jump,” said Curtis. “We don’t have very good bylaws to help [Animal Control Officer Eddie Ramos] deal with people like that.”

Town Conservation Agent and ex officio member of the Canine Committee Joe Grady said Cleveland is the right person to lead the committee and its formation is pertinent to today’s times.

“He’s going to be a great chairman,” said Grady. “I’m happy we’re going to focus on this and find solutions to these problems. We’ve got 25 miles of walking trails and a beautiful beach. Duxbury has become a real magnet for dog owners.”

Everyone on the committee agreed that educating the public will be the first step and that dogs enrich the lives of those in Duxbury said Cleveland.

“I really believe in two things,” said Cleveland. “I’ve lived in town for 25 years now and people really care about the Duxbury. If the town is willing to meet them half way, they will respond.”