PERU — After meeting with town officials Wednesday night, neighbors settled complaints about dogs running loose on Stage Coach Road.

Selectmen met at the home of dog owners Steve Fuller and Nathalie Anctil on Stage Coach Road. Joining them were Animal Control Officer Sue Milligan, Ashley Hall, who is being trained as alternate Rumford ACO, and Road Commissioner Joe Roach.

Also there were Jim Gallagher and David Briggs who had previously complained that Fuller’s dogs were roaming around the area.

The two men said a circuit that included the abandoned part of the road as well as the public part is well suited to their running and walking routines. Briggs said he has occasionally run the route for the past five years. Gallagher said he’s been walking it for the past 25 years, often in the company of Fuller’s father.

Selectman Larry Snowman and Milligan said dogs must always be under control and should not be allowed to leave their owner’s property. Milligan said, if necessary, a dog should be penned or chained to keep it from frightening people not on the owner’s land.

Fuller said that while he had his dogs shut up in his house, dogs belonging to another neighbor, John Gallant, had gotten loose and killed one pet guinea fowl, fatally injured a chicken and attacked his goats and other pets last week. He said he needed his dogs free to protect animals that he keeps as pets on his remote farm.

The status of Stage Coach Road has been in question since the dog complaints arose. Town records indicate that a section of it was closed in 1947.

Fuller said that in 1980 his father petitioned the town to open the road as far as his driveway.

Gallagher said he checked with a lawyer 30 or 35 years ago and was assured that the road had been abandoned and the abutting land owners owned the land to the center of the old road.

Selectmen agreed that if their predecessors had not objected to Gallagher building a pond on the old right of way, they must have agreed that there was no easement along the abandoned road.

Briggs said to avoid the situation he uses an alternate route.

Anctil gave Fuller’s telephone number to Briggs and assured him they would lock up the dogs any time he wanted to use the Stage Coach Road route.

Fuller agreed to keep the dogs penned when Gallagher normally walks the route.

Gallagher said he will let Fuller know if he wants to use it at other times.

Milligan reminded Fuller he is responsible for maintaining control of his dogs.