LAKEVILLE — A Lakeville homeowner must muzzle her dog and place a kennel on her property with fencing after the animal reportedly bit two people in two separate incidents, the Lakeville Select Board ordered at its Feb. 26 meeting.

The pit bull owned by Alisha Tetreault of 40 Clark St. has been accused of two biting incidents that resulted in injuries.

The most recent was reported on Feb. 12 and involved a child who was walking in the street when the dog came after her and sustained “decent bite wounds’’ that caused punctures, the child’s father, Andrew Mathison, said.

The child has since healed, he said, but “we were worried it was fractured,’’ he said of the injury.

In 2021, the dog attacked an adult woman. Tetreault said in that case, the dog bit the woman because she was “trying to steal the dog.’’

But Douglas Carlson disputed those events, saying that the woman who was bitten was a friend who was running in the area. Animal Control Officer David Frates also said that he had heard a jogger was involved and “this was the first’’ he had heard of an attempted theft.

Tetreault said she “would love to fence in my whole area,’’ but cannot afford to do that.

She said she keeps the dog on a runner and that she is willing to keep the dog inside at all times, even if he has to rely on pads some pet owners use for housebreaking.

Neighbors said the dog’s presence is a detriment to the area.

“People are in fear to talk anywhere near their house,’’ said James Almeida, who lives in the neighborhood. “Not only because of what could happen but because of what has happened.’’

Tetreault noted that she has hearing issues and relies on the dog to make her aware of activity in the area. The dog is not a service dog, she said.

“I understand your dog is important to you, to alert you,’’ said select board member Evagelia Fabian. But because this a second incident, “you have some responsibilities.’’

Select Board Chair Brian Day said he worried about the “what if scenario’’ should the dog escape through  a door opened to accept a delivery, for example. 

He questioned whether the dog should be quarantined at the animal control shelter until “an appropriate structure’’ can be built. But others noted that this can exacerbate any behavioral issues the dog might have.

Frates said that the muzzle and fencing placed between the porch and the kennel should ease the situation.

Tetreault was given until March 11 to get the kennel in place. The dog must be muzzled immediately, the select board said.

She is scheduled to return to the board March 25 so that progress could be reviewed. If the conditions are not met, the dog could be removed from the home, board members said.

Handling complaints about dogs is “one of the most difficult decisions the Select Board has to make,’’ Select Board member Lorraine Carboni said.