
Rachael Casagrande’s parents’ dog was shot and killed by a neighbor legally – she’s working to change that.
This story is sad and infuriating. Seacoast Online spoke to Rachael about what happened. Rachael’s parents’ 4-year-old husky named Rowdy was staying with her and her husband in Berwick when it was legally shot and killed by a neighbor.
Rowdy.thesiberian Instagram
From there, it gets worse. The neighbor, a man Rachael and her husband know, tried to cover up the dog’s death. Rowdy was shot and killed on his property because he was worried for his chickens. Rachael told Seacoast Online,
When it was finally sorted out, he admitted to police he shot the dog. He tried to hide the body, and he destroyed Rowdy’s GPS and regular collars. We don’t even have those as mementos of Rowdy. And he was charged by Berwick police only with criminal mischief, for destroying the collars.
Why was Rowdy, a husky dog shot and killed legally in Maine?
Rowdy.thesiberian Instagram
This happened early in the morning (1:30 a.m.) on May 27. Rowdy broke through a screen at their home. Her parents’ dog was staying with her family over Memorial Day weekend. They didn’t know anything had happened until the next day when they were looking for Rowdy. They looked at the app for his GPS and it said it was charged, but offline. Berwick police Captain Jerry Locke said that under Maine law, the neighbor had the right to shoot and kill Rowdy.
Maine law says it is legal to shoot and kill a dog on your property.
Maine Title 12 Conservation Law states:
An owner of domestic animals, livestock or poultry, a member of the owner’s family or a person to whom is entrusted the custody of domestic livestock or poultry may kill any dog killing or attacking the domestic animals, livestock or poultry.
The neighbor told police he was worried about his chickens and had shot coyotes on his property. But Rowdy wasn’t a coyote and when the neighbor realized that, he tried to cover it up. He took the collars to the dump and hid the dog’s body. The one charge the neighbor faces is criminal mischief, a misdemeanor for destroying the dog collars – it will probably be just a fine.
The neighbor who killed Rowdy was unavailable for comment
Rowdy.thesiberian Instagram
Rachael says that it was not the first time Rowdy was on her neighbor’s property. Rowdy could be adventurous, but not destructive. So they spoke to the neighbor about how they could work together. Rowdy never hurt any animals, and if it should happen, they spoke about paying for any damage. The neighbor seemed okay with that.
Trying to change animal cruelty laws in Maine.
Rachael and her family are hoping to change the animal cruelty laws in Maine starting with the Berwick Board of Selectmen. They are starting small and just trying to get an ordinance requiring a resident who shoots a dog to notify the police. That’s the least that should happen.
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Gallery Credit: Ethan Carey
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