Board upholds $5,000 fine, deems dog a nuisance
Board of Health · Meeting of October 5, 2026
Auburn Board of Health upholds $5,000 fine against newsstand, labels Hampton Street dog a nuisance. Chairman Eric Otterson, Vice Chair Kara Westerman and member Carolyn Griffin voted 3-0 to find InStyle Galaxy Newsstand responsible for a fourth tobacco control violation, upholding a $5,000 fine and 30-day suspension after inspectors found banned flavored tobacco hidden around the store during a June 12 compliance check. Otterson removed a business associate of owner Hitesh Harjani from the hearing after repeated interruptions over unproven corruption allegations; Griffin said she was "insulted and appalled" by the accusations.
In a separate hearing, the board voted 3-0 to deem Sarah McElroy's 120-pound dog Raja a "nuisance dog" after it broke the jaw of Jorge Arroyo's five-month-old puppy, Winky, ordering a six-foot leash and muzzle requirement. Arroyo put veterinary costs at roughly $1,776, with surgery estimates up to $12,000.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 1,986 words
Source: the Board of Health meeting of October 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Keep reading with a 30-day free trial
Subscribe to Worcester County News to keep reading this post and get 30 days of free access to the full post archives.
Starting a trial requires a payment method. After 30 free days your subscription begins at the price shown at checkout and renews automatically until you cancel. You can cancel anytime from your account. Subscription terms
A subscription gets you:
- Subscriber-only posts and full archive
- Post comments and join the community
- 24x7 access to local news