A German shepherd in West Tisbury, already declared a dangerous dog by town officials after a biting incident in December and a string of complaints last year, now faces an order of euthanization after biting another person earlier this month.

The dog was taken into custody July 20 by animal control officer Anthony Cordray after a woman renting a home near owners Martha Sullivan and Jim Bishop reported she had been bitten by the animal.

At an online public hearing before the town select board Wednesday, Mr. Cordray asked the board to order the dog euthanized.

“I don’t make this recommendation lightly,” he said.

Mr. Cordray said he based his recommendation on Ms. Sullivan’s apparent inability to control her dog, which the board had ordered in December to be leashed at all times when outdoors.

“The reason why I’m making this decision is because of the lack of control,” he said.

The dog was off-leash at the time of the July 20 attack. Ms. Sullivan told Mr. Cordray that she was unloading her car and didn’t think the dog needed to be leashed between the vehicle and the house, according to the animal control officer’s report.

Mr. Cordray also ruled out finding another home for the dog.

“It’s not morally right to rehome the dog. It’s just moving the problem somewhere else,” he said. “I feel this is going to happen again.”

Board chairman Skipper Manter expressed regret at the need for Wednesday’s hearing.

“I feel very sad about the situation,” Mr. Manter said. “It appears [the dog] just is not being controlled [as] we set out in December.” He continued:

“I know how much you can love a dog. I’ve had dogs all my life, but there’s a danger to the community here, a danger to the people that I think we can’t ignore.”

Board members Cynthia Mitchell and Kent Healy joined Mr. Manter in voting for the euthanasia.

“This is not easy,” Mr. Manter said. “I don’t remember if we have ever voted to do this before.”

The owners have 20 days from Wednesday’s hearing to appeal, which Mr. Bishop said was his intention.

“My lawyer will know what to do,” he said.

The dog will remain in Mr. Cordray’s custody until the appeal process concludes.

 — Louisa Hufstader