NORTH CUMBERLAND — A dog was shot and killed Friday morning while out for a walk with its owner on the Blue Trail, one of a series of trails at the Knights Pond preserve between North Yarmouth and Cumberland.
The preserve is a mixed-use area, and permits hunting in season. Pets are also allowed on leash.
Chief Charles Rumsey of Cumberland Police said that the Maine Warden Service is leading the investigation with the assistance of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office into the facts of the shooting. They have not yet made contact with the hunter, who left immediately after the shooting. He is described as a tall, white man in a black GMC. The vehicle did not appear to have plates, when it was spotted driving toward Cumberland on Route 9. The driver did not appear to evade the police in any way, according to them. The hunter was dressed appropriately for a hunting trip, wearing a blaze orange vest.
The preserve is not closed, and authorities do not believe there is any immediate threat to public safety. Rumsey said there were multiple law enforcement officials on scene on Friday afternoon. Anyone with information about the case should contact the Maine Warden Service at 207-287-8000.
A sheriff’s deputy confirmed the details of the shooting over the phone.
A little after 11 am, a dog was shot on the Blue trail surrounding Knight’s Pond between North Yarmouth and Cumberland.
It is now believed to be a hunting accident, but the hunter did not remain with the dog and the owner. The dog and owner were walking on the Blue trail, on the west side of the pond.
The dog died at the scene. According to the Cumberland Sheriff’s Office, the dog was not wearing blaze orange and may have been mistaken for a prey animal.
When the sheriff’s deputies arrived, they assisted the owner in getting the dog back to the road to her car, using a Sheriff’s Department ATV.
The State of Maine requires that anyone who shoots a dog during a hunting accident must report the shooting within 24 hours to the Warden Service. Since this is a state holiday, the hunter will not be able to report until Monday.
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