In an abrupt about-face from a decision made just a week ago, the West Tisbury selectmen unanimously voted on Wednesday to destroy two dogs that had killed a neighboring farmer’s chickens. It was the first order to do so in the town in at least 20 years.

Last Wednesday the selectmen voted to enter into an agreement that would have banned the dogs from the Island indefinitely. But that decision was reversed this week when one of the owners attempted to retrieve one of the dogs, named Zion, which was being kept at the town pound at the Animal Health Care facility at the airport.

The two Akitas belong to Taggart Young of West Tisbury and Anna Bolotovsky of Newton. The other dog, Sensi, is living in Newton with Ms. Bolotovsky and her family and probably will not be pursued for euthanization.

According to the selectmen, Mr. Young made an attempt to take Zion out of the pound last Thursday morning. At this Wednesday’s meeting, they said they had lost trust in the owners to stick to the agreement.

“We were quite clear at the end of [last Wednesday’s] hearing that we were going to hold the dog until an agreement was reached, and you were also clear that you didn’t like it, but I don’t think anyone in this room would dispute that that was the understanding . . . and you attempted to get the dog the next day knowing that,” selectman Cynthia Mitchell told Mr. Young. “Our responsibility . . . given the number of incidents, is now to protect the farmer. You’ve not demonstrated that you can be trusted to keep an agreement, and it pains me to say it.”

“Why enter into an agreement when I don’t know you wouldn’t come back here?” she added. “I don’t necessarily trust that you’re telling the truth.”

Both Ms. Bolotovsky and Mr. Young responded, emotionally, that they would make sure the dogs would be kept in a place where they could not hurt any other animals again. “I don’t want any chickens or livestock or the dog to get hurt or be punished by mistakes of a human, namely myself,” Ms. Bolotovsky said. “No doubt this experience is probably going to change me forever.”

Last week, animal control officer Joan Jenkinson recommended the dogs not be euthanized and instead be sent off-Island. But in a subsequent e-mail to the board, Ms. Jenkinson described the Thursday morning incident and recalled a phone conversation she had with Mr. Young when he was at Animal Health Care.

“I said, ‘Taggart, you know that last night you and Anna were told that Zion had to stay at the pound until the settlement agreement was typed up by town counsel, which won’t happen until at least next Wednesday, and your lawyer heard this as well,’” she wrote. “Taggart just doesn’t get it.”

This Wednesday, the selectmen first voted to rescind last week’s approval to enter into an agreement that would have sent both of the dogs to Newton and require the owners to pay $4,000 in damages, lawyers fees and costs associated with holding Zion.

Then, selectman and chairman of the board Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter 3rd, who voted against entering into last week’s initial agreement, made the final motion to euthanize the dogs. Ms. Mitchell seconded it, and with little discussion the order was passed.

The new agreement calls for both dogs to be euthanized but does not seek compensation for loss of livestock or pound fees. The selectmen are expected to sign the order for the dogs to be destroyed at a special selectmen’s meeting Saturday afternoon. Mr. Young and Ms. Bolotvksy will then have 10 days to appeal the decision in Edgartown district court.

Because Sensi is currently living in Newton with Ms. Bolotovsky, the board has no jurisdiction over that dog. In order to have Sensi destroyed the selectmen would have to obtain a court order to bring the dog back to the Island, and yesterday afternoon selectman Richard Knabel said the board was not planning to do so.

He called the euthanization order “the most distasteful thing I’ve ever had to do” as a selectman.

The order stems from three separate incidents when the dogs got loose and killed a total of 14 chickens and two geese belonging to Cleveland Farm owner Richard Andre. After the first incident in January, a hearing was called, and Mr. Young and Ms. Bolotvsky were ordered to construct a pen at Mr. Young’s home and not to allow the dogs off leash. The pen was built, but the dogs escaped twice more.

Sensi is registered to Mr. Young, who lives here full-time and grew up on the Island, while Zion is registered to Ms. Bolotvsky, who lives full-time in Newton and visits the Vineyard on occasion.

At the meeting Wednesday night, Mr. Knabel said he too had doubts about the owners living up to the agreement, and their attempt to retrieve the dog made it appear as though the settlement was “problematic” to Mr. Young.

“I was really quite disturbed to hear what happened Thursday morning,” he said. “You went to the pound and tried to get the dog out, knowing full well that was not something we authorized the day before. You felt justified in doing that because we were holding the dog, in your mind, inappropriately. What can you tell me to give me a sense of confidence that you’re going to live up to this agreement?”

Mr. Young, promising to move the dog off-Island, said the dog was a family member and in no circumstances would he plan to bring either dog back to a place where they could be killed.

“If there’s one thing you can trust in me is we care about our animals,” he said. “In no circumstance in caring about our animals would we want to bring them back here into harm’s way . . . I will give my personal word with every promise that I can that they will not return here. This is not a place we want to bring them ever again.”

Ms. Bolotovsky apologized through tears.

“I’m sorry that this happened. Unfortunately I wasn’t in direct control of it. That doesn’t excuse it; it only makes me feel worse,” she said. “I [will] do what you guys ask . . . All of this has been very difficult to deal with. I’m going to have some attachment issues and never let him [Zion] out of my sight . . . I can give you my word and that’s all I have to say.”

Zion will continue to be in the custody of the town until a final decision is rendered.