In 2018 the Gouldsboro Police Department handled over 50 animal complaints ranging from dogs at large, unlicensed dogs, dog bites, animal cruelty and animal trespass. The most common complaint handled are dogs at large, reported by concerned citizens who find a dog wandering in a road and afraid it will be struck by a vehicle. Another common complaint are residents who are encountering a dog that keeps coming onto their property and is uncontrolled. Each town is required to have an Animal Control Officer certified by the State of Maine. Animal Control Officers are generally responsible for ensuring dogs are licensed in their town, investigating animal cruelty cases, and ensuring proper dog bite procedures are followed in accordance with their training from the CDC.
Dogs at Large: A common misconception is that Maine has a “leash law”. This is not entirely accurate, but state law does prohibit that a dog be at large unless it is being used for hunting. What we interpret this to mean is that a dog must be under control of the owner at all times. This could be achieved by a leash or form of fence. A dog at large on their owner’s property is also not a violation. If your dog is found to be “at large” you could be summonsed by an officer. This is a civil offense but requires a mandatory court appearance and you could be fined. In most instances we try to warn dog owners of dog at large problems before issuing a summons–but we do issue summonses for this problem if it persists.
Dog Bites: Dog bites are reported each year to the department. The ACO or officer handling a dog bite complaint has a procedure that is followed in accordance with training provided by the CDC. For further information on the process of reporting and caring for a dog bite, see our Rabies Pamphlet.
Dog licensing: Is your dog licensed? Licensing your dog in your town of residence is also required by state law. Your dog will need a current rabies vaccination certificate prior to licensing. Licensing your dog serves several purposes. Revenue from licensing fees fund the Animal Welfare program which employs state humane agents. These agents investigate serious animal neglect cases and agricultural animal complaints. Several times per year our department will work with humane agents from this department in order to resolve animal related complaints. Late fees also fund a municipal animal welfare fund which our town can use for care of animals or funding animal control related activities. Licensing your dog also serves the following purposes:
1.) Allows town officials to locate a dog’s owner in a case where the dog has been found by a resident or officer.
2.) Creates a record on file for reference if someone is bitten by your pet (or another pet bitten by your pet) and needs verification of a current rabies vaccination.
3.) Unfortunately, not all animal owners are as responsible as others. Requiring licensing mandates animal owners bring their pet to a veterinarian to be seen at least once every 3 years.
Rabies Vaccinations: It is also against state law not to have your pet vaccinated against rabies by a veterinarian. Owners of pets can be summonsed for keeping unlicensed dogs or for failing to vaccinate their pets against rabies. Owners are required to provide evidence of a current rabies vaccines if requested by an ACO or officer. This includes cats!
Animal Trespass: The department also commonly handles complaints about animals other than dogs found at large. This includes pigs, goats, and horses. Owners of these animals are required to keep them on their property and not trespass on another’s property absent permission of the property owner. If the owner of the trespassing animal does not remove the animal of the property within 12 hours, they can be charged for animal trespass. If the animal trespasses 5 or more days within a 30-day period or 3 or more days within a 7-day period the owner of the animal can be charged with animal trespass. The owner is required to appear in court and can be fined a minimum $50 for the first offense up to $500 and for a second offense a minimum fine of $1,000. The owner can also be held responsible for restitution of any damage caused to property.
We encourage you to visit our home page for further on the licensing of dogs to include the fee schedule and a link for online dog licensing.
We thank you for your cooperation with ensuring compliance with state laws governing domestic pets and preventing the spread of rabies.