Court clerk to hear evidence on misfit Marblehead mutt

For The ItemMARBLEHEAD – The owner of a German shepherd involved in a Jan. 8 biting incident has filed a court appeal of the Selectmen’s order to have the dog put to death.The appeal will be heard by a court clerk Monday at 9 a.m. in Lynn District Court. It will be reviewed by the clerk as a civil case. The clerk may uphold the selectmen’s decision or reverse it, and the town or dog owner may appeal the clerk’s ruling to a judge.Selectmen voted unanimously to have Dr. Anthony Schepsis’ dog Jessie put down for attacking Carol Bouchat as she walked her pug on a local hillside near Naugus Avenue. The sentence was to be carried out in 10 days but Schepsis’ lawyer, Attorney Jeremy Cohen, told the board that Schepsis is in the process of moving and has moved the dog to a new home in upstate New York. Cohen also said the dog, which was involved in previous attacks on other dogs, will receive special training.Board members gave him 24 hours to produce written confirmation of the dog’s location and warned him that Schepsis could be subject to a fine for not carrying out their order.Next week may also decide the fate of another dog, which was involved in a Jan. 6 attack.Selectmen gave Geeno, a German shepherd owned by Kenneth Harvey, until next Wednesday’s board meeting for a professional evaluation.Geeno bit a woman’s hand as she attempted to protect her small dog from him. His case was also heard Jan. 28 but he went to Bay State Kennels in Middleton for an evaluation. According to Harvey’s lawyer, David Smith, Harvey and Geeno are scheduled to leave town this spring.