Mercer animal officer charged

[Baxter's Mom]

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Mercer animal officer charged


By LARRY GRARD
Staff Writer

MERCER -- The town's animal-control officer, accused of giving a Bacon Road resident permission to shoot a neighbor's dog, has been charged with cruelty to animals.

Deborah Coyne on Friday was served the civil summons by Maine State Police Trooper Scott Dalton. An arraignment date has been set for October.

The charges are based on an incident that occurred June 27, when a 10-month-old Rottweiler owned by Alan Washburn was allegedly lured into a neighbor's barn where it was shot, according to State Police Lt. Dale P. Lancaster.

The neighbor, Sherry Bacon, allegedly lured both the Rottweiler and the family's German shepherd into the barn with water and food and tied them up, according to Washburn's father, Richard Duffy.

The German shepherd managed to escape, Duffy said.

Duffy said he learned of the summons Monday morning in a letter to him from Assistant District Attorney Paul Rucha. In the letter, Rucha wrote there is "no dispute" that the dogs ran away and onto the Bacon property.

"Once on the Bacon property, the dogs were chasing Ms. Bacon's horses," Rucha wrote. "The law would give absolute authority to Ms. Bacon to shoot the dogs if they were still chasing the horses."

Rucha's letter said that evidence suggests both dogs were tethered at the time the Rottweiler was shot, and that Coyne gave Bacon permission to shot it.

No charges are warranted against Bacon, Rucha concluded.

Lancaster said that Coyne gave Bacon permission to shoot the dog, despite the fact that Dalton told her not to do so.

"She did not have authority to dispatch the animal, nor did she have authority to give anyone else permission to dispatch the animal in this particular case," Lancaster said.

Lancaster said an animal-control officer can only advise someone to shoot an animal under certain circumstances, such as when the animal might be endangering the life of a person or animal.

There was no decision Monday from the town on Coyne's job status. Questioned on the subject Monday morning, Second Selectman Jesse Crandall said he had not heard of the summons.

"It's kind of hard to make a comment about it," Crandall said. "I'm kind of surprised that it went that way. It's a long story. I'm just kind of surprised."

According to the dog owner's mother, Becky Washburn, she and Duffy heard three shots from Bacon's home.

"We were looking for the dogs and then we heard a gunshot, and heard the dog scream," Washburn said. "They shot three shots. The first one didn't kill him. We heard him scream and go berserk."

Duffy said he then blocked the one-way, dead-end dirt road with his vehicle so that no one could leave and called 911.

Contacted at her home early Monday evening, Coyne declined comment.

http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.c...l/3118607.shtml

[mjfish]

They should tie up both the animal officer and the neighbor, shoot them in the kneecaps, then shoot them in the stomach, and leave them to die a slow death.

(I think I may be in a bad mood today...whatd'ya think? )

[matrixr124]

OH MY GOD! My heart is so broken for those people right now!!! How dare that person who told them to shoot that poor dog! I understand if you are having an issue with a neighbors dog to try to get some advice-but it seems to me that they were just trying to find a way to kill the poor dog and get away with it!Thank God the other pup got away!!!
Makes me so happy I mived my Dogs and family to the country...I hardly have any neighbors and I love it like that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My question would be this.....wouldnt more people be outraged if this were NOT a rotti? ME THINKS SO

[fostermom]

Makes me wonder what else this woman did to animals in her care....I certainly hope she gets jail time and is NEVER allowed to work with animals again. I don't understand, if the puppy was chasing livestock, why she didn't seize the pup instead of telling the neighbor to tie it up and shoot it!!! I know of a couple of humane societies and animal control officers up this way who do NOTHING to assist animals and would just as soon euthanize. It is beyond sad.

[Tywaknya'sBABY]

Give em a little bit of power....
This breaks my heart but did it say the person who actually tied up and shot the dog hasn't been arrested yet??? Maybe I misread but if so and this was my furbaby they'd find her tied up and shot in my yard...and I'd be the one to call the police

I'm sorry this just is beyond evil.

[matrixr124]

I agree...I wonder if there is anything that we can do as a group to show our support for this family as well as show our "deep concern" for the actions of this so called officer and the shooter...I dont know, maybe I misread but I do think that it did say she had not been arrested...I agree, theyd have no problem finding her....she would be tied in my yard as well.

[matrixr124]

I'd also like to say that I personally know several animial control officers (Manassas Virginia) who would never even think about doing something like this and they will be heartbroken to hear about this...if they havent already!

[KatMc]

It says no charges are warranted against Bacon (the shooter).

This makes me sick, I understand the dogs chasing the horses, something had to be done. It doesn't say if there had been any contact w/the dogs owners.

Pure and simple though to lure the dogs in and shoot them is evil. The animal control officer definitely deserves something, but so does the lady that did the shooting.

Kathy

[matrixr124]

you bet they do....they are both guilty as %&** however, I think it is even worse that the control officer could have done so much to try and remedy this situation before it came to this.....anybody have any suggestions about what we can do to help the family?