After a three-week reprieve, Jag, a Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office police dog, is headed back to the kennel.

A meeting between sheriff’s office personnel and representatives of the county risk pool concluded there is no clear assumption of liability by the county if a police dog bites someone while its handler is off duty.

The issue came up last month after Jag, a German shepherd, bit someone in 2006 at Deputy Al Winslow’s house. The provider of Winslow’s homeowner insurance policy said it would not cover a claim made by the bite victim and said the county should cover it. The county risk pool said homeowners' insurance should cover it, though the risk pool did pay to settle the case so the officer was not held liable.

The sheriff ordered the county’s three police dogs to be kept in commercial kennels when not on duty until he could be sure the handlers were not exposed to personal liability for the dog’s conduct.

A public outcry against the policy led the county to cover the deputies until the issue could be resolved. But last week’s meeting did not yield a resolution. The county risk pool said it would review any future incidents on a case-by-case basis but would not guarantee coverage in writing, said Chief Deputy Kevin Joyce.

The handlers for Duc and Major, the county’s other two dogs, have decided to keep their dogs at home when off duty.

But Deputy Winslow has to keep Jag in a kennel because he could not get homeowner insurance – necessary for refinancing his house – while Jag was staying at home.

Joyce said the county risk pool is still exploring other insurance policies that might ensure coverage for the deputies.