Maine News

Break in at Waterville Area Humane Society
A pitbull was taken and a German shepherd "released"

Bethel Resident Is Facing Eight Counts of Animal Cruelty
It appears that he has an extensive history of animal cruelty investigations of his treatment of animals. The most recent allegations have finally led to charges.

Meals on Wheels also feed pets in Southern Kennebec County
The idea for "Animeals" came from Dr. Judy Hermans several years ago.

Town of Readfield raises the fee pet owner must pay to retrieve their impounded animal
If their animal is picked up and taken to the animal shelter, the owners will now have to pay $50 to get the animal back.

No shelter available for horses in crisis in Maine
There is no state owned equine shelter in Maine, which means the Animal Welfare Program has to rely on private or non profit horse rescues and shelters.

North Berwick area residents are urged to keep an eye on their pets
Following the disappearance of four North Berwick dogs, officials urge area residents (and beyond) to keep a close watch on their pets.

Four rescued young seals released back into the ocean
The four swam off quickly while several hundred spectators watched at Pine Point Park on Saturday, December 16, 2006.

Crows dying in large numbers in Lewiston neighborhood
Residents near the Promenade Mall and Summit Avenue areas have been noticing large numbers of dead crows.

Goat dies after dog attack
The incident occurred on Wednesday, December 20, 2006, in Rangeley.

Houlton Animal Shelter trying to deal with overwhelming cat population
As all animal shelters in Maine, the shelter in Houlton is doing its best to deal with the many stray cats it has taken in. Adopters are desperately needed!

Bald Eagle caught in leghold trap in Leeds
The eagle was discovered on November 2, in a trap that was intended for coyotes.
Update: The eagle was released back into the wild in Leeds on Saturday, December 9, 2006, after it made a full recovery.

Trap catches Dog
The dog and his owner were walking on the former Pineland property.

Family Cat Brutally killed in Baileyville
The Baileyville family had adopted Papelbon back in February and slowly gained his trust.

Katrina is back at home with new owners
Katrina, the dog, is a Hurricane Katrina survivor.

Palermo residents urged to vaccinate their cats and dogs against rabies
Recent incidents of rabies in neighboring towns triggered the warning.

Beagle euthanized in Albion following an attack by a rabid skunk
The incident occurred on November 11, 2006, and was the third confirmed incident of rabies in the town of Albion.

Dog shot by hunter
The hunter has been charged.

Goats attacked by dogs in Livermore
Sadly, the owners of the goats were unable to intervene in time and several goats have died while others are severely injured.
Update The owner of the dogs pleaded not guilty in Lewiston District Court on the charge stemming from his dogs' attack on the goats. The trial is scheduled for spring.

Family dog bolted from vehicle and later hit by passing car
The family was searching for their missing dog and then heard of his fate. A couple had found the dog and were trying to find the owner.

Dog allegedly stolen in Saco has been found
The Scottish Terrier disappeared from her owner's car in Saco and has been found safely.

Hagelin sentenced after pleading no contest
Mark Hagelins 92 dogs were seized back in April 2005. His sentence includes a 20 year probation with the provision that he can only own one spayed or neutered dog.

20 dogs and 1 cat seized from Topsfield House
The animals appeared to be living in filthy, unsanitary conditions. Update:4th District Court Judge John Romei ruled on Tuesday, November 7, 2006, that the 20 dogs and one cat seized from a Topsfield woman be forfeited to the state. "The animals were prisoners in their own coats and it’s sad the owner doesn’t accept that," the judge said.

Maine has severe cat overpopulation problem
Shelters are overwhelmed and unable to handle the numbers of stray, surrendered and abandoned cats. Up to 80% of those cats may face euthanasia.

York woman faces charges for allegedly abandoning three cats
The cats, one a 20 year old senior cat, were allegedly left outside of a York veterinary hospital around August 18, 2006. Update One of the 5-year old cats has been found. If you have any information on the two still missing, call York Police at 207-363-4444

Young Rottweiler allegedly shot by neighbor
The incident occurred in Mercer on June 27,2006. The Maine State Police is investigating the incident.
Update Mercer Animal Control Officer charged with animal cruelty!

Suspected dog and cat poisonings in Stockton Springs
A family dog and cat were euthanized this week in what officials think may be due to poisoning. Officials urge pet owners to be cautious.
Update: Frozen meat sent to Michigan for testing in early April and results are expected soon.

Animal Protection Institute sends "Intent to Sue" letter to Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife has been notified that the California based group intents to sue if the alleged violations are not cured within 60 days.
Updated October 12, 2006 API filed its lawsuit today.

Dog ban for beaches under consideration in York
York town officials are considering an outright ban on dogs on the beach during the summer months. Update: The final vote was held on May 20, 2006!
The proposed changes: from May 20-Sept. 20, dogs on all public beaches will have to be leashed after 6 p.m. During the same period, dogs, and other domesticated animals, are only allowed on the beaches after 6 p.m. and prior to 8 a.m. From dawn to 8 a.m., dogs under voice control of their owners will be able to run free on the beaches.


4 Washington County men face charges in poaching slaughter of numerous animals
Three men have been arrested and the fourth is expected to be arrested once he returns to Maine. Update one of the men has been convicted!in state court and pleaded guilty in federal court on December 5, 2006, and faces faces up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $15,000 on each of the four federal charges.

Lobster protection in Europe expected to impact Maine lobster industry
Maine Lobstermen's Association considers efforts by animal activists to lobby for humane treatment of lobsters a threat according to an article published in the Portland Press Herald on January 1, 2006.

Dixfield area residents donate generously to cat shelter in second appeal for help
Two Dixfield sisters had cared for the cats without assistance from the community for 20 years. Last year they appealed for help. The response from local residents was great and the appeal for monetary donations, cat food, cat litter, cleaning supplies to help them take care of homeless cats and kitten resulted in area residents donating four times as much as last year. The sisters expect the donations will get the cats and kittens only through the next four months.

Kennebec County Animal Response Team is looking for volunteers interested in animal rescue
Recent catastrophic events have reinforced the realization that many animal owners are very reluctant, or refuse to, evacuate without their animals. Training is scheduled for early fall in Kennebec County.

Maine begins implementation of new national animal identification system
The system will allow official to track individual animals as well as farms. The program is not yet mandatory and intended to enable officials to respond quickly in case of emergency such as a disease outbreak among livestock. Read the press release.

Read April 2006 Update click above

Pepper, a 15-year old family cat, killed by three teenagers
Update: One teenager sentenced. The other scheduled for trial on Tuesday, April 25, 2006.

The three teenagers were arrested and have been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.
Ted MacArthur, 16, Brent C. Carlow, 16, and John B. Dewar II, 14, all of Baileyville are scheduled to go to trial beginning on February 28, 2006.




License your dog and help fight animal abuse in Maine
Support the Animal Welfare Dept in its mission to fight animal abuse and neglect: License your dog. The Dept is funded by licensing fees!

Judge orders dog owners to forfeit animals seized by the state in August 2004
Judge determines that pets seized in August 2004 will not be returned to owners. Updated on October 27, 2004

Kennebec Valley Humane Society awards its first canine heroism award
The recipient was Dallie, a two-year-old Sheltie.

German Shepherd dies in house fire
The remains of the dog were found in the ashes. Two dogs were taken to the local veterinarian and two more dogs are missing.

Puppy Scam lures dog lovers in the Ellesworth area
This recent scam involves advertising puppies for sale.

Family Dog shot in Paris
Zoe slipped out of the door and returned bleeding from the face and neck.

Farm Animals sold by owner following complaints by neighbors to Animal Welfare Program
The owner of the farm told a local newspaper that he is tired of hearing the complaints of his neighbors and has sold his cows and pigs. He does not know whether they will go to slaughter.

Groundbreaking for Veterinary Clinic in Augusta
Once built, the clinic will serve the needs of Greyhounds during the day and serve as an after hour clinic for veterinary emergencies evenings and weekends.

10-year-old Cocker Spaniel returns home severely injured
The incident occurred back in August but was only recently reported to Winslow police.

Paralyzed kitten finds safe home in Maine
The kitten was injured and partially paralyzed when a couch fell on her.

Ohio girl wins Bubba, the lobster, and sets him free
The seven-year-old entered the raffle to win Bubba and set him free.

Yet another seizure of animals in allegedly poor conditions
This time the seizured occurred in Sedgewick and involved six horses and an already dead llama.

Update: Three horses have been returned to the owners. The other three are supposed to be returned once they are at their normal weight. Animal Advocates are outraged by the court's decision to return to the animals to the owners.

Animal Welfare Seizes 14 dogs, five parakeets and a cat from Princeton house
Animal Welfare seized the animals after obtaining a search warrant following reports that the animals were not properly cared for. Update: the owner of the dogs surrendered ownership of the dogs and the judge ruled that the state now had legal ownership of the dogs.

77th confirmed case of rabies this year involving contact with humans and/or pets
The most recent was a rabid skunk in Charleston. A dog was attacked.

Three rabid animals in Standish
Two foxes and a domestic cat tested positive for rabies in the month of August 2006.

Marine Patrol frees Minke Whale
The whale was entangled in waters off Northeast Harbor.