York Town News
Maine law: dogs must be sheltered from the cold
By Melissa Wood
YORK - York Police Animal Control has received a couple of reports about animals left out in the extreme cold this week.No charges have been filed against the pet owners, but the reports have prompted local officers to update residents on the law regarding dogs and winter.
A River Farm Road resident reported a neighbor's dog had been left outside all morning with no food and water on Feb. 13, while a black Labrador retriever was found running loose on Route 1 on Sunday, Feb. 19.
The people who found the Labrador brought the dog to a nearby restaurant to inquire about the owner. Animal Control Officer Larry McAfee just happened to be in the restaurant at the time and, even though he was off duty, helped reunite the dog with its owner, who had reported the dog was missing.
McAfee said that it is against the law in Maine to leave a dog outside in severe cold - or heat - without a proper doghouse or other shelter that can protect it from the weather.
"It has to be able to get out of the elements," explained McAfee.
According to the laws defining cruelty to animals in Maine, "inadequate shelter may be indicated by the shivering of the dog due to cold weather for a continuous period of 30 minutes."
Pet owners who are found guilty of leaving their dogs outside without proper shelter in inclement weather face a fine set by the court.
McAfee works with York Animal Control Officer Thomas Porter, who is a state certified animal control officer and a member of the board of directors of the New England Animal Control Humane Academy. McAfee is retired from the Maine State Police, where he worked as a state trooper for 25 years.
