ORRINGTON, Maine — The local man who used a rifle to kill a dog last fall and was charged by the Maine Warden Service with shooting a domestic animal has signed an agreement for deferred disposition of the case, Assistant District Attorney Tracy Lacher announced.
The dog, a 2-year-old purebred German shepherd named Maggie, was running loose in the woods when it was shot by Seth White, 53, who used a rifle with a scope.
The deferred disposition agreement gives White until Jan. 11 to fulfill requirements to pay $777 in restitution — the cost of replacing the dog and for Maggie’s veterinary bills — and attend counseling sessions. The agreement also bars him from possessing any firearms, wild game or birds and stipulates that he may not apply for a hunting license, Lacher said.
Under the agreement, “He pled no contest to the cruelty to animals and admitted to a civil violation of the same charge,” she said. “If he does well, [the criminal charge] will become a civil offense” at his Jan. 11 sentencing.
If White fails to pay restitution or is caught breaking the law or the rules of the agreement, he’ll face the full criminal penalty.
White was found by state game wardens, who were told by other hunters that he had been hunting in the area and that they had heard gunshots shortly after 7 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2.
Maggie had been missing from her home on Mount High Drive since Monday, Oct. 31, after she and two other dogs had been let out to relieve themselves.
“Only two came back,” Orrington Animal Control Officer Carla Brown said at the time.
Maggie’s owner posted information about the missing dog on Facebook, offered a reward, and spread the word through a Bangor radio station and the Bangor Daily News website.
Maggie’s body was found in a wooded area late Wednesday afternoon by a farmer who was walking his own dog, Brown said.
“The evidence would show that Mr. White is an experienced hunter, he was using a rifle with a scope, and that this dog had classic markings of a German shepherd,” Lacher said in an email Wednesday. “At some point, he returned to the animal and dragged it a short distance into some woods. He never reported the incident. He later told investigators that he believed it was a coyote chasing a deer. (It is legal to hunt coyotes.)”
BDN reporter Dawn Gagnon contributed to this report.
if you cant tell the difference between a coyote and a german shepard,especially lookin through a scope,you shouldnt be huntin um. let alone shootin at um. time to visit the eye doctor!!
Perfect example why you need take a IQ Test to be able to hunt legally.
There would be far fewer hunters out there which would be nice. Maybe then people wouldn’t get killed during hunting season because “uh, I thought he was a deer.”
This guy should go to jail!
What do you expect in that town anyway?
One of the town’s selectmen also did that, except it was a small house pet in his driveway.
What town do you live in cap?
Lived inOrrington for 39 years.
Bernie
________________________________
From: Disqus
To: firecap66@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 7:07 AM
Subject: [bdn] Re: Orrington man who shot dog signs agreement with district attorney
jd2008jd wrote, in response to firecap66:
What town do you live in cap?
Link to comment
But that wasn’t what I asked cap. I asked where you live now. But based on your response, you don’t live there now so why relive what happened and is in the past? Move on man.
Where I live now is none of your business.
Bernie
________________________________
From: Disqus
To: firecap66@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 10:27 AM
Subject: [bdn] Re: Orrington man who shot dog signs agreement with district attorney
jd2008jd wrote, in response to firecap66:
But that wasn’t what I asked cap. I asked where you live now. But based on your response, you don’t live there now so why relive what happened and is in the past? Move on man. Link to comment
Hope you have found a better place in northern Penobscot county Bernie. But really you need to let go of what happened in Orrington…you really do.
THAT TOWN, is no better or worse than anyother town. Did you ever live there? I did. The only thing wrong with that town is that everyone has the opinion that they have the right to think like you.
I sure did. I lived there for 39 years.
Bernie
________________________________
From: Disqus
To: firecap66@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 7:37 AM
Subject: [bdn] Re: Orrington man who shot dog signs agreement with district attorney
frostylobomerlin wrote, in response to firecap66:
THAT TOWN, is no better or worse than anyother town. Did you ever live there? I did. The only thing wrong with that town is that everyone has the opinion that they have the right to think like you. Link to comment
Cap reliving what happened is mot good fir you. You need to move beyond it.
“Maggie had been missing from her home on Mount High Drive since Monday, Oct. 31, after she and two other dogs had been let out to relieve themselves.”
Just my opinion that the owner should be charged with allowing a dog to roam at large.
sounds to me like Mr White thinks that ANY dog out in the woods is chasing deer…..and IF a dog is running deer then by all means shoot it. But you dont just shoot it for being outside…….
I agree no one knows if the dog was chasing deer but once a dog has the scent they always will chase deer back years ago i shot a husky and a doberman that were chasing a deer(and yes i felt bad) but i physically saw them chasing it i shot the deer first (6 point buck)then the dogs and it used to be legal to do but i also agree that probably in this case it wasn’t chasing them also the owner should of not been letting them out into the woods during hunting season just for this reason some bad decisions on both sides i also agree the shooter should of been able to identify the target and know better and no i am not an animal hater i have animals myself and i would tell anyone during hunting season use your brain before letting your animals run in the woods maybe just confine them to the back yard where you can watch them or put an orange vest on them they do make them for dogs
She could have gotten lost. It isn’t like the dog was menacing their neighbors, or chasing deer!
A GSD is worth much more than the above mention. And this guy is paying for counseling? Should be paying a lot more! With Jail time.
Dogs are “property” and the most that you can recover is the amount you paid for it.
He cant have wild game,fire arms,or birds. What about dogs,cats,and anything else he may decide to harm?
RIP Maggie girl.
I hunt and I have dogs. I feel really bad for the family of this dog….but I’m also torn about this hunter. I think him not being able to have a license again is way too extreme. I also don’t think he should have to get counseling…come on! I love my dogs dearly and they are fenced but they get out- it happens. During hunting season they have orange on of some sort. Both sides at fault here. But come on- this guy is getting is worse than some drug dealers pumping our kids pull of heroin.
agreed sir, agreed.
At best, he is too stupid to have a gun (he thought a purebred german shep was a coyote?). At worst he is just a cruel human being. I feel zero sympathy for him.
He made a bad decision with a gun in his hand and got caught, don’t give him a second chance. It might not be a dog next time.
I have a question- according to the article, this man has to pay for replacing the dog and for the dogs vet bills. Did he kill the dog when he shot it or not?