An appeal to allow a dog to return to the City of Lisbon failed in a 2-2 vote by the city council. Council members Mike Williams and Sara Nost were the votes for allowing the dog to return, and council members Nathan Smith and John Bardsley were the no votes. Council member Rick Scott was not in attendance.
Smith explained that his vote was because there was evidence the dog had bit somebody and police were called.
“We don’t know if the person did nothing to provoke the dog, and without that evidence, I can’t vote for the dog to return,” Smith said. “I too love animals, but my first commitment is to the code of Lisbon, and the dog fit the definition of a vicious animal due to our ordinance.”
Nost said if there was a rabies vaccination on file and the dog was registered, she would be okay with the dog returning to town. The owner had provided both of those items prior to the meeting.
The vote drew the appeal process with the council to a close after several miscommunications of the date and times for the appeal hearings for Corey Greene.
Citizens encouraged the council to make an exception in this opportunity and reunite this women and her dog in the town, that the dog had plenty of character witnesses that he was not violent in many instances previously and served as an emotional support to the owner.
Lisbon city attorney Mark Parmventer reminded council the dog had violated the code for vicious animals, a civil infraction for the city.
Williams made the motion to allow the dog back into the community, and Nost seconded. In a voice vote, it came down to the two-two decision. Since the council had previously ruled the animal as vicious at a previous council meeting, a tie vote was essentially the same as a no vote and the mayor could not weigh in.
Greene’s next option is to appeal the decision in a court case if she wants to fight for the dog to return to town.
Appeal for dog to return to Lisbon fails
June 23, 2022
About the Contributor
Nathan Countryman, Editor
Nathan Countryman is the Editor of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.