The fate of Mo, Zeta Psi fraternity's dog, is now in the hands of a Hanover District Court judge after he was taken into custody for violating his probation.
On Thursday, Hanover Police took Mo away to the Upper Valley Humane Society after receiving a complaint from David Leone '96 who said Mo ran at him, barking and baring his teeth.
Hanover Police Sergeant Frank Moran said Thursday's incident is the second violation of a Jan. 16, 1993 abatement order. According to New Hampshire laws, a dog may be punished by being put to sleep after two infractions.
Zete Summer President Ryan Carey '96, who will appear before a judge tomorrow to decide what to do with Mo, said he was "very much concerned" about the dog's fate.
Carey said he would "plead as much as possible" with the judge to keep Mo alive.
Moran said he was not sure what the outcome of the "disposition hearing" would be but said the judges usually try to find other alternatives before killing an animal.
"Dogs really don't have rights," he said. "The judge can do whatever he wants. The best thing is what is best for Hanover."
Neither Carey, Zete brother Ben Dean '94, who was supposed to take care of Mo after graduation, nor Moran knew the extent of Mo's criminal record. Moran said Mo "has had his contact with the police."
An abatement is an order to control a dog and make sure the circumstances are not repeated. A dog can receive an abatement for being "a menace, a nuisance, vicious," Sergeant Chris O'Conner said in an interview with The Dartmouth in May.
Mo, a repeat offender, first violated the original 1993 abatement order on April 1.
Mo was placed in the Humane Society for 10 days for barking at someone who reported him to the police, Dean said in a previous interview.
A Hanover judge ordered Mo to be kept on a leash at all times after the incident. Dean said he would take Mo with him after graduation.
Carey said yesterday that former Zete President Ryan Victor '94 had taken Mo to Montreal, Canada where he lives, but Mo "tried to eat his way out of Ryan's house. It really couldn't happen because he lives in a brick house."
Carey said Mo returned to Hanover in the spring temporarily until they found a home for him.
Mo has been kept on a leash, but even when he is kept inside, Carey said, he is smart and "knows how to open doors with bars and door knobs."
"I know Mo well enough that he would never do anything other than bark at anyone," he said.
Leone said he was sure he would have been bitten if he had not fended off Mo, who was traveling with Abby, Zete's other dog.
Moran said, "If the dogs are going to show any aggression, there are going to be a lot of people affected in Hanover."
Moran said some deals between the dog owners and the town -- such as the one agreed to in April between Hanover and Zete -- work out "great, other times it does not."
Moran said the judge could consider adoption for Mo.
Currently, Carey said Mo has open offers to live in Massachusetts with a Zete brother and with Dean in Charlottesville, Va. where Dean will attend law school at the University of Virginia.
