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Orrington man who shot dog mistook it for a coyote

By Dawn Gagnon, BDN Staff
Posted Nov. 03, 2011, at 2:31 p.m.
Last modified Nov. 04, 2011, at 5:43 a.m.
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This picture of Maggie was posted by Theresa Proulx on the Bangor Daily News website. She was not wearing the bandana or a collar when she ran off.
Theresa Proulx
This picture of Maggie was posted by Theresa Proulx on the Bangor Daily News website. She was not wearing the bandana or a collar when she ran off.

ORRINGTON, Maine — After finding a dog shot to death in Orrington, the Maine Warden Service has charged a local man with shooting a domestic animal, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

The dog was running loose in the woods when it was shot by Seth White, 53, according to DIF&W spokeswoman Edie Smith.

“He was out hunting and he mistook the dog for a coyote,” Smith said Thursday in a telephone interview. She said White had been hunting Wednesday morning in an area of Orrington with the permission of the landowner. She said he was found by state game wardens who were told by other hunters that he had been hunting in the area and they had hear gunshots shortly after 7 a.m.

The dog, a 2-year-old German shepherd named Maggie, had been missing from its home on Mount High Drive since Monday, when one of its owners, Lynne Cota, let it and two other dogs out to relieve themselves, Orrington Animal Control Officer Carla Brown said Thursday.

The dogs caught the scent of a squirrel and took off running, she said.

“Only two came back,” Brown said.

Brown said that Cota had called her to ask her to keep an eye out for the dog and that she had checked out places in town where dogs are known to gather.

In the meantime, Cota posted information about the missing dog and the offer of a reward on Facebook and further spread the word through a Bangor radio station and on 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 farmer went home and told his wife, who had seen the Facebook appeal and contacted the owners. Brown called Orrington deputies with the Penoscot County Sheriff’s Department, who called in the Maine Warden Service, she said.

Brown said the incident has sadden many people in the community.

“I don’t know how anyone could mistake a well-groomed German shepherd for a coyote,” she said, adding that Maine law prohibits the killing of dogs except by DIF&W personnel or in cases where one’s life is in danger.

Though neither Lynne Cota or her husband, Andrew Cota, could be reached for comment Thursday afternoon, she posted comments on the Facebook page of radio station Q107.3.

“To all of our dear friends — it was during our deep pain and hours of sobbing that we finally layed down, snuggled with our two remaining shepherds and read each of your posts, texts and emails out loud to each other,” she wrote. “You all brought us great comfort. The outpouring of love since our Maggie disappeared has been astounding. Please believe it when we say that it is what has kept us going.”

The Maine Warden Service stresses during hunting season, hunters must practice 100 percent identification of any wild animal or wild bird before shooting a target.

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  • Anonymous

    You should probably know what you’re shooting at before you pull the trigger. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VI5WTVDOQEX4M6UAEVBC7GROOQ Kelly

    Better have been an accident…years ago, a little girl who was new to the area was outside in the snow clapping her furry mittens.  The hunter did not identify the target, shot and killed the girl claiming it was a white-tailed deer.  (What’s worse is he got off…)  People who are stupid enough to shoot before knowing what they are shooting at do not deserve guns.

  • Anonymous

    I can’t condone this action, but maybe he shot it because the dog was chasing something else.  There are not enough details in the story to know for sure.

  • Anonymous

    Hey at least this perp can  say it was hunting season.
    FBI  agent Leslie Ledger did not have that excuse.
    Notice in the Ledger case there was no investigation of the second dog killed.
    see link for full story  http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/13316/TX/US/

    “Personnel actions are matters between the FBI and the employee
    themselves,” Vasys said. “As such, the Federal Privacy Act prohibits any
    further comment by the FBI on these matters.”

    Leslie Ledger leaves a grand jury room in 2008.

    Ledger, 41, could not be reached for comment Friday. His attorney, Rob
    Swanton, said he was unaware of any new developments in Ledger’s
    employment status.

    Ledger was placed on deferred probation for two years and ordered to
    perform 300 hours of community service in July after pleading no contest
    to state jail felony animal-cruelty charges in Waco’s 54th State
    District Court.

    He shot the tiny dog, named Sassy, with a pellet rifle as the dog
    explored the neighborhood in front of his rural home on Estes Road in
    Lorena. The dog belonged to a young girl whose family lives down the
    street from Ledger.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VANZLIHKQPPLZPYRZHKFC3MDTM Kim

    Only a game warden should be shooting a dog for chasing something such as a deer.

  • Anonymous

    It wasn’t a little girl. It was a woman just out and about in her backyard.

  • Anonymous

    Did the owner get a ticket for letting a dog run at large? The law applies to everyone.

  • Anonymous

    Good for the Wardens!!! I hope he gets a HUGE fine and license revocation for this stupidity, he deserves it!

  • Anonymous

    The victim in the case you cited was a grown woman at her clothesline. She did have on white mittens.

  • Anonymous

    I’ll be surprised if this guy was actually in the wrong, but he can’t be too bright if he got caught.

  • Anonymous

    Kelly,  It was not a little girl who got shot. She was a woman with a husband and two of her own children. Her death was every bit a tragedy.
     
    The individual who shot her was not some stupid person.  HE was a boy scout leader, he had taught the hunter safety course, he was a father, and a husband.   You think he got off? How about years of therapy and several admissions to Acadia. He lost life long friends even some of his own family turned away from him. 

    Every person who was affected by this accident lost
    Your comments make me sick!!!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VI5WTVDOQEX4M6UAEVBC7GROOQ Kelly

    Thanks for clarifying you two.  It was a while ago and I am simply trying to make a point.  It is tragic regardless of their age, completely avoidable. :(

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VANZLIHKQPPLZPYRZHKFC3MDTM Kim

    How could he not be in the wrong? He was charged with shooting a domestic animal.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_HJQKFIBPEJ4G3YJTMPPQC25MFI David

    And she did have babies, too.  Twins.  Karen Wood, killed by Donald Rogerson.

  • Anonymous

    He shot the dog twice, then dragged her dead body into the woods to try to hide the evidence. The law is clear, you cannot shoot a domestic animal while hunting. My sincere condolences to the family. :(

  • Anonymous

    Probably thought it was a coyote running around through the brush.  Unfortunate incident, target identification and keeping your pets leashed or fenced in could of prevented this.

  • http://twitter.com/FullMoonGirl84 Samantha Davis

    not if its your own property

  • Anonymous

    so sad for the dog owners, I saw their plea last night for help finding their lost dog, so sorry this is the outcome.

    As for the hunter – there’s no excuse. My husband and all of the men and some women in my family have hunted responsibly for generations, you must always identify. Makes me wonder how one could confuse a German Shepard with a deer. I have a golden retriever that I worry about because she could easily be mistaken just because of her color, a Shepard however, not even close

  • Anonymous

    Is this the case where the dog had escaped and the dog had been out before in this man’s yard  and this man said he was protecting his chickens?

  • Anonymous

    Dogs chasing deer ought to be shot- hunting season or not- preferably but not necessarily by a warden. That’s my story………………….

  • Anonymous

    Take his guns away

  • Conley Raye

    When shooting goes afoul, the person who did the shooting needs to lose their license and guns for good. No 2nd chances and if a death has occurred than they need to pay, financially too. There just is no method for margin of error.

  • Anonymous

    At this point the story is unclear.  It’s implied that perhaps he didn’t identify his target, but we don’t know that to be the case.  It could be that he was hunting on his own property, saw the dog running deer and shot it.  If that were the case, I’d never vote to convict, and it only takes one.  It’s also possible that he shot the dog on its owner’s property, which absolutely should be prosecuted.  The details should be out soon.

  • Anonymous

    Why did he shoot it?  Where did he shoot it?  How can you be so sure that he did something wrong?

  • Anonymous

    As the owner of this little dog, I would ask people to put their speculations  aside. You cannot possibly offer an opinion on a subject without knowing the full story. The full story will come out, we will have our day in court. I connot discuss any details, put please consider our feelings for our puppy.

  • Anonymous

    It must be under the control of the owner. Weather it is on the owners property or not. In other words tied, on a leash, fenced in or with the owner supervising. Not running loose.

  • Anonymous

    German Shepard and a coyote , very similar colors sometimes. Running the woods, very possible to think it would be a coyote.

  • Anonymous

    And has nothing to do with dogs running loose in the woods.

  • Anonymous

    I did not let her run at large, she simply got lost while being supervised in the backyard.

  • Anonymous

    If this is the dog I think it is… the owners have been searching frantically for it the past few days.  This is so sad and unnecessary. 

    I don’t think anyone “lets” their dog run at large on purpose during hunting season.  I don’t even dare step out in my yard without florescent orange on this time of year.

    For the first time in my life (entirely spent in Maine from a family with many Registered Maine Guides) – I am considering posting my property since we do live in Orrington.

    I took a hunter safety course decades ago.  The guy obviously did not follow the law.

  • Anonymous

    I do feel bad about your dog. If whoever shot it was being unethical or just plain cruel or stupid they should be procecuted. But if your dog was running loose in the woods you should accept responsibility yourself as well. You know it is hunting season and there are hunters in the woods. Some of whom are not exactly the best of humanity. I am not jumping on you but people need to watch and take care of their pets especially now during hunting season.

  • poormaniac

    A German shephard running through the woods any time of year can easily be confused as a coyote and the open season on them is quite long. I think this guy should be let off , domestic animals are supposed to be under the control of their owners at all times.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VI5WTVDOQEX4M6UAEVBC7GROOQ Kelly

    The point is that this guy shot the dog before identifying his target, just as in the story above.  Unable to make the connection?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VANZLIHKQPPLZPYRZHKFC3MDTM Kim

    My heart goes out to you and your family. RIP beautiful Maggie.

  • Anonymous

    The police obviously believe he did WRONG or else he wouldn’t have received the summons!!!!!

  • Anonymous

    My sincere condolences to you and your family. 

  • Anonymous

    I am so very sorry this happened.  Thinking of you.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Todd-Foster/686645014 Todd Foster

    No, this dog went missing a few days ago.

  • valgal10

    Actually it was a women running thru the woods at the hunter. She had on white mittens and was shot accidently by the hunter. The hunter was never charged. Get your facts straight…

  • valgal10

    So, we can assume he had a doe tag and did not have to identify that the animal had horns….

  • valgal10

    Very sad outcome. So sorry for your loss..

  • Jennifer Robidoux

    Wasn’t the dog wearing a red bandana?! I still struggle to understand how this happened, regardless that a shepherd looks like a coyote. Buck fever runs rampant these days and I know plenty of people who shoot at anything that moves! This is a tragedy. Seems to me that this guy definitely didn’t know what he was shooting at and would have shot a mechanical deer if it were there too!

  • Anonymous

    I feel for you, as someone who owns several acres in the country with 2 dogs, with access to a few hundred acres nobody has claim to on the end of my property (its a marsh/bog technically classified as a stream) I understand how this could happen, since I have often stood on my deck and seen hunters right on the edge of my property line.

  • Anonymous

    Maggie was lost and we were frantically trying to locate her. She hadn’t been gone that long! He should have took her and helped locate her owners instead of doing what he did.  

  • Anonymous

    If it was a dog running lose in the woods, off a leash, not under control of it’s owner then it was probably shot on purpose. If it had been running deer (which dogs love to do) it would have been the wardens responsibilty to shoot it.
    The article does not state anywhere about target mis-identification.

  • Anonymous

    FYI A dog is allowed to be under verbal command not just a leash in Maine. Which means the animal can run around the yard without a leash!

  • valgal10

    found on Google article from the New York Times

  • Anonymous

    For those who do not own dogs, one must understand they run off after things and the act is completely out of human control.  To try and place the blame on the family of the dog is a bit much.  The rules for dogs running at large vary from town to town and are aimed at individuals who do not attend to their animals.  In this situation the owners worked themselves tirelessly to find their lost dog from the moment she left their property.  Speculation leads to criticism and, after reading a few of these posts, I am horrified.  The Maine law states Game Wardens have the authority to shoot a dog if they are chasing a deer, not individuals themselves.  The family has been through a very difficult time over these past three days and there will be more for them to endure.  Please place yourselves in a position of neutrality until all details have been revealed, as well as understanding the laws for the state prior to commenting.  My heart is with Maggie as her journey has ended and with the family as their journey to heal has just begun.

  • Anonymous

    Right.  With a doe tag you just blindly blast at anything that resembles an animal.

  • Anonymous

    I wonder if he had been drinking?

  • Anonymous

    Please put this guys picture up so we can see who would do a thing like that.

  • Anonymous

    Usually the police couldn’t catch a cold.

  • Anonymous

    There is no closed season coyotes.

  • Anonymous

    Comparing the tragic loss of life of a human being to that of a dog is a little sick don’t you think?

  • Anonymous

    Do you think for once in your posting life you can post something on topic and not bring in the FBI, 9/11 Conspiracy Theories, etc???

  • Anonymous

    virgil…if Seth White had properly identified the target he was shooting at Maggie would still be alive today.

  • Anonymous

    Class E: Crimes punishable by up to six months incarceration and a $1,000 fine

  • Anonymous

    He was not on his own property.

  • Anonymous

    And properly identifying your target could have prevented it too. And German Shepherd Dogs do not look like “coyotes”.

  • Anonymous

    “German Shepard and a coyote , very similar colors sometimes.”

    Not this time. Maggie was black with sable

  • Anonymous

    Keep sticking to that story. But in this case it wasn’t the case.

  • Theresa Ann Proulx

    She was not in the woods, she was in an open field. In pure day light. He could clearly see what he was doing, and if he couldn’t, he shouldn’t of pulled the trigger. 

  • Anonymous

    poormaniac I have owned several GSD and none of them have ever looked like a coyote in broad daylight and neither did Maggie.

  • http://www.facebook.com/laplants Seth Laplant

    More than likely this man made a mistake just like the owners did. A man driving too fast and hits a dog does not get a penalty.  German shepards should not be running loose any time of year but especially on opening day of hunting season.  If the dog got away from the owners it was not under control.

  • http://www.facebook.com/laplants Seth Laplant

     If you know people who shoot at anything that moves maybe you could tell us where they hunt so we can avoid the area.

  • Anonymous

    I’m very sorry for your loss, Dad.  Losing a beloved pet is an extremely hard thing. 

  • Anonymous

    What?  I think that was a different situation. The one you’re talking about was trying to tell the hunter he could not hunt there, partly because he was shooting towards her house.

  • Anonymous

    Your dog can run at large on your property. Hunters are guests and do not have greater status than the dog on your property.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_5OUVRXL3BCHXLBERVE55XVKDYM Evan

    I hope people realize that you can also hunt coyotes this time of year. I know that i could deffinetly tell the difference between a deer and dog, but telling the difference between a german shepherd and a coyote at a distance would be hard. If the guy was just hunting out in the middle of the woods, i think it’s the owners fault for not having the dog in their control.

  • Anonymous

    Driving a car and choosing to pull the trigger are two completely opposing circumstances.  Had the dog been hit by a vehicle there would be no police investigation.  There was justification for law enforcement to be involved so there is evidently more to the situation. 

  • Anonymous

    Maybe Maggie was concerned about people wearing orange clothing, carrying guns in her back yard and went to check things out. As it turns out, she was right, unfortunately.

  • Anonymous

    Shepards have distinctive markings that are unmistakable, and do not match those of a coyote or a deer. There are variations, but those again are distinctive and unique to shepards.

  • Anonymous

    The hunter WAS charged…it happened in the mid 1990′s in Penobscot County…can’t remember the town, but it was somewhere around Lincoln.

  • Anonymous

    Evan…just watched the WABI news feature on this terrible story. Maggie was not on her property and the hunter was not on his. It was not the words but an open old farm field. The hunter shot not once but twice hitting Maggie once. The man who found Maggie confirms that you could not mistake and Black and Sable GSD for a coyote.

  • Anonymous

    You know that how?

  • Anonymous

    While that might matter, if the dog was not creating a nuisance, attacking, or damaging property it’s highly unlikely that animal control would fine the owner. The only person with the authority to shoot the dog would be the owner of the land, and then only if one of the above conditions existed. I doubt these “hunters” owned that land.

    Anybody that has spent any time carrying a gun with a dog around knows that dogs know what guns are and will run from you with heads and tails down if they think you might shoot in their direction. It’s as easy to figure out as the fact that dogs love trucks.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_U4C2J6HHCDFQWLBE2E2AUWY3KQ patricia

    I am so sorry for your loss, please know that you and your family are in my prayers.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_EVJBXQG5BXGT4Y2Y74VVK74JUQ Mike

    virgilcain….instead of sitting behind a computer and trying to put your 2 cents in on something you dont seem to know anything about….step away from the computer and do something with your life….

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GRAP7NN3O234ZNGBG2NGQV6TKI Mike

    Its people like this shooter that will make me go post my land!

  • Anonymous

    Ridiculous.  Even if he did have a doe tag, he shouldn’t be hunting if he’s going to shoot at anything without antlers.

  • Anonymous

    this person should not have a gun if he cant tell the difference between a dog or a deer, or is he just plain ignorant!

  • Anonymous

    Seth

    Maggie ran off into the woods on Halloween night. She was shot the next day in an open field in broad daylight. The hunter shot not once but twice.

    Sometimes dogs run off. Most times they come back.

    A hunter only has once chance to make the right choice before he/she pulls the trigger. Once fired he/she can never take the round back.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_EVJBXQG5BXGT4Y2Y74VVK74JUQ Mike

    And to the owner of Maggie my heart goes out to you in this very tough time…my wife and I don’t have children but we have 2 rescue dogs from bangor humane society…one brown husky and one white belgian malinois who mean to absolute world to us and could not imagine losing them until its their time to pass….dont listen to a word these ignorant people say to you….and again im VERY sorry for your loss of such a precious dog

  • Anonymous

    I know the family, I know the area, I know the landowner.

  • Anonymous

    To this family my heart breaks for you and the other pups in your home. For those of you so quick to say the dog should be tied or leashed…really? Shut up! Dogs do not need to be tied or leashed all the time…this family was enjoying play time with their furry kids. They did everything in their power to find her and this man who pulled the trigger was a careless person. If you are out hunting, watching a field you pull up and look thru your scope and to make sure of what you are shooting at!! There is no excuse for this act besides cruelty and ignorance. I hope this family finds some sort of peace, as a person who loves my dogs as my kids I cannot imagine.

  • Anonymous

    He should have made sure of what he was shooting at before pulling the trigger!

  • Anonymous

    And German Shepherd Dogs do not look like “coyotes”.     
    **********************************************
    unless you’re in the woods…
    coyotes tend to be larger than shepherds, but there’s always the young coyotes that are about the same size.  A few years ago, I was driving home from my friend’s house at night. Looking ahead, in the middle of the road was what I thought…a german shepherd….It walked a couple steps to the middle of the opposite lane.  He stayed there until I drove up and stopped right next to him.  We ‘locked eyes’ for a moment before he turned and walked off toward the side of the road.  He was just a bit bigger than a shepherd, a young coyote.  Not as much black on him as a shepherd, but I had to get right up next to him to really see it.

  • Anonymous

    my full length coyote fur coat is a mixture of black, gray, tan and sable.

  • Anonymous

    “unless you’re in the woods…”
    ~~~~~
    And Maggie wasn’t in the woods. She was in an old farm field in broad daylight.

  • Anonymous

    Really..because all of your inside knowledge of this case makes you say that. It is wrong to shoot a domestic animal while hunting, hence the facts that he was charged with this. “Not to bright if he got caught” it’s people with that exact type of thinking that should NOT be allowed to own guns or any other type of weapon.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_EVJBXQG5BXGT4Y2Y74VVK74JUQ Mike

     if you cant tell the difference between a German shepard and a coyote you need to go back to pre-school and learn your animals all over

  • Anonymous

    Old farm field, broad daylight.

    And I have seen my fair share of coyotes and I have owned several GSDs and I would never mistake one for the other. Maybe a Belgian Malinois but not a GSD.

  • Anonymous

    I am so sorry, a pet is a member of your family. 

  • Anonymous

    That dog looked nothing like a coyote…………and just because you have buck fever doesn’t mean you shoot at something without identifying. The big red bandana should have been clue enough. Again very sorry for the family

  • Anonymous

    She was a very beautiful dog. I am so sorry for your loss.

  • Anonymous

    Perhaps that is your opinion but speaking from experience it hurts just the same…a life lost

  • Anonymous

    If he is firing a gun, can’t tell what his target was, what if it was a child? How about a grandchild? There is NO EXCUSE!!!  Jail Time!!

  • Anonymous

    What’s sick is a “humanbeing” no knowing what his target was BEFORE he pulled the trigger!!

  • Anonymous

    Not to mention it is still bird season. Which you can use dogs to hunt with and it is also rabbit season which you can use dogs to hunt with.Im an outdoorsman and hunter shot my deer yesterday.but for some reason alot of deer hunters think there the only ones that is supposed to be in the woods this month.but you should also have orange on your dog this time of the year cabelas sells a nice orange vest for dogs.The woods of maine are for evryone that wants to enjoy them all year if your 100% sure of what your shooting it is a safe place for everyone to enjoy.

  • Anonymous

    I agree!!  My comment was directed at a post that has been deleted……leaving my comment out of context.

  • Anonymous

    shooting across the field at the dog, he most likely only had a sillouette, thus a black and sable shepherd, even a pink and blue shepherd, could definatly be mistaken for a coyote
    not that he’s right by any means, he didnt have positive id of his target and he shouldnt have shot. That he shot twice is irrelevant it just means he missed the first shot and fired again at his misidentified target.

  • Anonymous

    A full grown german shepard quite a bit bigger than a coyote must of thought  the wolves arrived.

  • Anonymous

    So very sorry for the loss of your dog. Please accept our sincere sympathies on the death of your friend.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_U4C2J6HHCDFQWLBE2E2AUWY3KQ patricia

    You clearly never had a dog.  I would (and have) mourn the loss of my dog as much if not more than than some of the people I’ve lost.  Family is family, human or canine.

  • Anonymous

    According to the article, other hunters heard shots just after 7:00am.  Sunrise was 7:12am, so it’s not broad daylight.

  • Anonymous

    If he was shooting at a “silhouette” he didn’t have the ability to properly identify his target. And if he didn’t have the ability to properly identify his target he had no business pulling the trigger.

  • Anonymous

    All the more reason to be damn sure what you are shooting at.

    He didn’t identify the target properly. He pulled the trigger. And when he discovered what he did, what did he do? He left Maggie and never told anyone what he did.

  • Anonymous

    I could not agree more, jd!!  I was taught as a youngster hunting that you don’t pull the trigger unless you are ABSOLUTELY SURE of your target.  My Shepherd-loving heart goes out to Maggie’s family!

  • Anonymous

    The max should be handed out to a hunter who kills a domestic animal by “accident” and they should take this guys license away for 10 years. DOG OWNERS: DO NOT LET YOUR DOG OUT OF THE HOUSE WITHOUT AN ORANGE COAT AND COLLAR; MY DOG HAS BLINKING LIGHTS ON HIS COLLAR! This is an incredible tragedy and there are more idiots and drunks out there with guns trying to get their deer.

  • Anonymous

    This is totally sick!!

  • Anonymous

    I thinkeven in pre-school…or at least National geographic…one learns that a coyote is a member of the canine family (that would be a dog, Mike.)

  • Anonymous

    Buzzard we do not often agree with each others comments but on this one I do. Both items are very, very inexpensive.

  • Anonymous

    It would be good to get this clarified. I’ve had bear hunters tell me that radio- collared dogs are “under control” because the owners know where the dogs are. 

  • Anonymous

    Coyotes can be and are a variation of many colors, blacks, tans, grey,red and who knows, maybe sable. Not condoning what he did, but I can see how it could happen. Coyotes are plentiful now and dogs running before sunrise could easily be mistaken. And you do know that sable is brown don’t you?

  • Anonymous

    How many people have actually seen a real live coyote?  Not everyone knows exactly what they look like, granted mis-identification of a target is no excuse, and if you don’t know don’t shoot.  I’ve seen a few so I know, but some people I was with thought it was a lost puppy.  Pretty shocked to find out it was a coyote.  Maybe the guy knew it was a dog, but maybe he shot when the dog was running through the brush.  I know a shepard looks nothing like a yote, but not everyone can make that determination.

  • Anonymous

    Know what you are shooting at before you pull the trigger.

  • Anonymous

    what ever the reason/circumstances..he shot the dog..maybe by accident, whatever..but when he realized what he did..why didn’t he contact someone?  This is NOT the time to be so hurtful people..sorry for their loss

  • Anonymous

    I think that’s the point he was making

  • Anonymous

    I agree that someone may mistake a dog for a yote in the right circumstances, but you should always make well sure of your target before you pull that trigger.  I don’t make snap shots, the only things I’ve ever shot that were moving are birds, I have yet to shoot something I didn’t intend to shoot.  If it was an honest mistake then maybe the guy should be let off, but if it was malicious then most certainly not.  Let the law decide.  I also agree that domestic animals should always be under control of the owner.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks jd. It was 7 bucks at Goodwill and has 3 blinking strobes. It is actually fun to watch him move around in the field at night.

  • Anonymous

    I know that a shepard looks nothing like a yote, but someone inexperienced or has never seen one could make a mistake.  Especially if the dog was running around in some brush or grass.  I’ve come across dogs before in the woods and have had to grab them and tie them up in what was hopefully the owners yard (just happened to be the house nearest).  Mistakes happen, and if this was the case then it was a very unfortunate accident, but if not then he should be held more accountable.  Either way target ID, or leashing the dog could of prevented this.  My dogs are always on a leash whether hunting season or not.  I’ve never shot what I didn’t intend to.  This was preventable, but whether anyone wants to admit it or not mistakes like this will happen occasionally.

  • Anonymous

    I feel the same way..to think he shot her and left her their.  He could of at least called authorities to notify them of what had happened.   That’s what needs to be questioned..why did he just leave her their?  If he went up to what he shot and saw it was a dog, why didn’t he report it?

  • Anonymous

    Do you know that for a fact, how many people shoot yotes and never walk up to the carcass?  

  • Anonymous

    It was in Hermon.  She was waving him away from her back yard.    She was wearing white mittens (his excuse).   More than likely it was testosterone induced “buck fever”.   He was prosecuted.  I can’t recall the sentence he received other than loss of hunting privleges for, I believe, ten years.    Her widower moved to another State a short while after her death.

  • Anonymous

    The part of the story that makes me sick is that he did not contact the owners after shooting Maggie. Why did he not contact the family or at the very least the ACO or the game warden if it was accidental? 33 He shot her twice – so that would make me think that the second bullet may have been at a closer range. And this wasnt someone visiting from out of state – he was also a resident of Orrington. Maggies family made extensive actions to find her – from print media, facebook, radio and also television coverage – as well as going door to door looking for her.

  • Anonymous

    Yes I do know that for a fact.

  • Anonymous

    Tell you what ath2o, Google images of GSD and then Google images of coyotes. The markings are not even close.

    Maggie had “traditional” GSD markings. Heavy black, not speckled and sable.

  • Anonymous

    For Heavens sake, don’t go outside wearing that!

  • Anonymous

    He was stupid for the fraction of a second it took him to aim a gun at another human being and pull the trigger.    Therapy is a small price to pay for killing someone.  What price did the young woman’s children pay?   How about her husband?

  • Anonymous

    Human nature, being what it is, he more than likely didn’t want to: pay a fine, lose his hunting privleges, lose his gun(s) or be a pariah for killing a dog.   He probably thought that he wouldn’t get found out.  

  • Anonymous

    I have neighbors with sheperds.  I have coyotes in my back yard.   Nah, you can tell the difference.      

  • Anonymous

    That’s like the old saw about the out-of-State hunter mistaking a horse for a moose or a cow for a deer.   Where I live in north central Maine coyote sightings are a daily occurence.   I see them every time I drive to Bangor on ninety-five. 

  • Anonymous

     No, I’m don’t have to Google anything. I’ve seen shepards and skun some coyotes, I know what they can look like! You’ve got to get in the real world, this guy didn’t have a picture in front of him. He’s in the brush, read the story please, it’s hunting season, coyotes are legal game. Dogs are not supposed to be running wild. Don’t condone what he did, but Ican see how it could happen.

  • Anonymous

    “He was out hunting and he mistook the dog for a coyote,”

    Does this guy sell bridges too?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_H42QFRNGIVG36JTIS536PFBLS4 Brian

    Yup… I to feel great sorrow for the family. Regardless the time of year… the dog always has an Orange collar on. And if my dog ventured “way off” during hunting season I would blame myself.  See the leash law….

    http://bangordailynews.com/2010/03/09/news/bangor/dog-owners-bangor-leash-law-lsquomaking-a-big-deal-out-of-nothingrsquo/

    http://orrington.govoffice.com/vertical/Sites/%7B66869F6F-0C7F-4D86-A31D-781DC0391C4D%7D/uploads/%7BC4E71241-5F6A-4E4C-823E-12B219E92656%7D.PDF

    Two people failed here! the Owner and the Shooter….  Sorry… Just my opinion

  • Eileen Sewell

    As a UK resident I am amazed that people want to go out to slaughter wild animals for ‘sport’.   Yes, some people here enjoy being barbaric, but from what I read of  the States it seems that it is an integral part of many peoples’ lives.  This poor dog was shot because there are too many guns and too many people who want to kill.  Why do people want to shoot beautiful animals like deer?  Why do people want to kill anything?  Isn’t it nicer to observe, photograph, admire the creatures with which we share the planet?  I am so sorry for the dog and for its family.  And I am so sorry for all animals that are slaughtered in the name of ‘sport’. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TJYZV7JWWJCPG7BX65EM6UOHZ4 Skowhegan Resident

    i think i found a photo of maggie BRB

  • Anonymous

    I hate to say this but I personally know people who just like to kill animals.   If these psychopaths can’t kill a creature with a gun, they’ll run over it with their vehicle.   I’ll put these people in the same category as the numbnuts who shoot road signs located a few yards from a residence.   We wonder why people call for gun control.

  • Anonymous

    Well ath20 I have owned several GSD and I have had coyotes in my backyard and the differences are notable.

    Maggie was a “traditional” mostly Black (non-speckled) and Sable GSD. I have never seen a coyote with these markings. Not once. Coyotes also do not have the slopped back lower hind quarter that GSD have.

    They “oh I thought it was a coyote” excuse is just that, an excuse.

    He had the opportunity to report the mistaken identification to the Warden Service but he didn’t. He knew what he had done and walked away and never bothered to tell anyone. And he did know after the fact that it wasn’t a “coyote”.

    As the ACO for Orrington said tonight, he could lose his hunting and fishing privileges for life. He could have his firearms confiscated. And he faces a $1,000.00 fine and up to 6 months in jail ALL because he didn’t know what he was shooting at before he pulled the trigger.

  • Anonymous

    C’mon! Hunting so close to residential property, how could anyone justify shooting anything resembling a coyote? Too risky! Is it common to hunt coyotes? I wasn’t aware.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NXPTPFL746OV2VGR5WBOEUF6W4 Roger

     I can offer one. First off one of the four rules of firearms safety is knowing your target! Plain and simple the guy who shot the dog is 100 percent responsible. I do not care if your dog was wearing tags running loose of even if it had mange it does not matter. If you have a firearm you have the responsibility to use it correctly. If you can not even properly identify your target then you should NOT be hunting.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4HWW6BX2MHMGAYCUYMGXK7WUSI Gisselle Marie

    I really will never understand why people don’t use leashes! That’s what they’re for! RIP Maggie.  A death that could have been easily avoided.

  • Anonymous

    Brian the first link you posted is about a proposed change in Bangor’s leash laws which has nothing to do with Orrington and the second link is the Town of Orrington Animal Control Ordinance which was written as a direct result of a town resident that was unable to keep his cows in their pastures. That is why they define ““Livestock” means, but may not be limited to, horses, mules, donkeys, cattle, goats, sheep or swine.”

    Maine has no state wide leash law. Here is what Maine Law says -

    Title 7: AGRICULTURE AND ANIMALS
    Part 9: ANIMAL WELFARE
    Chapter 717: ANIMAL WELFARE ACT

    6. At large.  “At large” means off the premises of the owner and not under the control of any person whose personal presence and attention would reasonably control the conduct of the animal.

    and

    Chapter 719: UNCONTROLLED DOGS

    §3911. Dogs at large – It is unlawful for any dog, licensed or unlicensed, to be at large, except when used for hunting. The owner or keeper of any dog found at large is subject to the penalties provided in this chapter.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NXPTPFL746OV2VGR5WBOEUF6W4 Roger

     I hunt them near homes all the time. The fact is many people call me to do it. Maine has a huge overpopulation of yotes to the point that that are destroying our deer population. Then again I live way up in Washington co but they are still running all over the state. Yotes will kill dogs ,cats, chickens and anything else they can get hold of.

  • Anonymous

    Maine law only says the following about “At Large”

    “”At large” means off the premises of the owner and not under the control of any person whose personal presence and attention would reasonably control the conduct of the animal.”

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NXPTPFL746OV2VGR5WBOEUF6W4 Roger

     If you can not tell the difference between a yote and a German Shepard you don’t know what a yote looks like.  If you do not know what your game looks like you should not be hunting it. As for the at distance comment this is why we glass our targets the rage does not negate your responsibility to both know your target and what is beyond it. 

  • Anonymous

    Gisselle yes a leash could have made a difference. But so could the hunter that did not properly identify the target and pulled the trigger…and pulled it again.

    Once that trigger is pulled the person pulling it has all the responsibility resting with them if the do not hit the target they aimed for or if the target is not what they thought it was.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Cecil-Gray/1027119962 Cecil Gray

    No she should not. Know what you are shooting at is the creed and coyote phobia is not an excuse.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Cecil-Gray/1027119962 Cecil Gray

    Wrong.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Cecil-Gray/1027119962 Cecil Gray

    He was wrong. Positive ID precludes opinion.

  • Anonymous

    You should not be allowed to own a gun, never mind a hunting licence if you can’t tell a coyote from a Shepard in daylight. 

  • Anonymous

    I hate to point out the obvious when people are searching for excuses since sometimes there is none.

  • Anonymous

    Your turnip-like intellect astounds me. German Shepards don’t run deer. You need a new story. Did you shoot my dog just for fun??? There are people who want to know.

  • Anonymous

    Exacctly what I said. Under the owners control. They stated in the article they opened the door and let the dogs go.

  • Anonymous

    Did I defend the hunter?

  • Anonymous

    Beyond that the shooting was a poaching crime. It’s illegal to hunt before sunrise.
    Next, only a person who knows that they have done something seriously wrong refrains from calling for help and or reporting what happened. Was this ahole drunk, cause I’m thinking somebody should test him. If you think there aren’t tests that could figure that out you’d be wrong.

  • Anonymous

    I feel bad that you lost your dog to someone who was acting irresponsibily. Simply got lost means that you had no control over the dog. I would never let my dog out during hunting season for this very reason.

  • Anonymous

    I didn’t say you did. I made a statement of fact. If Seth White had properly identified the target before he pulled the trigger Maggie would be alive today. That’s a fact.

  • Anonymous

    I just checked the Maine Inland Fish and Wildlife website and according to them he could legally begin hunting at 6:44 AM on November 1st.

    http://www.eregulations.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/11MEHD_Hunting-Hours.pdf

    I do agree that he acted as one would expect someone to act if they knew something they did was wrong. As far as alcohol testing I am unaware of any test that would show the BAC approximately 36 hours after the fact. I admit I could be wrong and things have changed since the time I carried a badge and a gun.

  • Anonymous

    virgil while you might (and I stress might) be right, your comment is rather crass given they just lost a member of their family.

    Could have, would have, should have really doesn’t matter at this point but I know one thing to be a fact. And that fact is if Seth White had taken the time to properly identify his target (as is required by Maine IFW regulation) Maggie would be alive today.

  • Douglas Watts

    I was required to take a hunter safety course at age 12 to be able to hunt. The first rule was if you are unsure of your target you do not shoot, because you might very well be shooting at someone’s dog, cat or their son or daughter or their husband or wife. Apparently this rule is now antiquated. My sympathies to the poor dog and her family. And for godsakes, what person in their right mind in Orrington is ‘hunting’ coyotes. Leave them alone. You should know that if you’re hunting in Orrington that 99.99 percent of the ‘coyotes’ are someone’s dog. How stupid can you be?

  • Anonymous

    Yes but beating a dead horse is getting old. The shooter had been caught. I am sure he will get punished by the law and lessons have been learned all around. As a lifelong dog owner myself I know how bad losing a dog can be. Let this be a lesson to hunters and responsibe owners alike.

  • Anonymous

    It’s a culture shock. There are no coyotes up here. There are fox though. They mate for life, they usually leave people alone, and only raise a question when they are outside in the middle of the day for an extended period. That means they might have rabies. There lot’s of other possibilities though.

  • Anonymous

    Most of us can, but out at a distance, through thickets, you might make an incorrect identification.  It seems like an extremely obvious thing when you compare the two, but we don’t know all the details of what this guy thought he saw.  There are always stories of people that go out and “see” things that they thought were one thing and ended up being another and to those familiar with various animals the actual specimen is obvious, but it is not always so.

  • Anonymous

    Have you ever had the opportunity to try it, or have ever been exposed to it in a different light.  Where you grow up and how you are brought up makes a big difference in people’s views.  I have friends that grew up with little to no exposure to hunting and fishing and some actually thought as you do until they actually got out and tried it.  If you are told it’s a horrible sport all your life that’s how you’ll think of it.  It’s not for everyone, but there is nothing wrong with it either.  Hunting and fishing is a part of my life that I won’t give up until I’m unable to get out there.  Having  wild game on my plate is pretty good too, I prefer it over what I can get at Hannaford, but the seasons are only so long.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Regina-Hosebeast/100002095287763 Regina Hosebeast

    Truly a sad and unfortunate end to what I’m sure was a great dog and member of the family. Condolences to the family.

    They only thing sadder I can think of is the proof-reading or authoring of this story:

    “and they had hear gunshots shortly after 7 a.m.”

    “Brown said the incident has sadden many people in the community.”

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AO6B7CYXQUKSPZDD2MN3YGPKFI Kelly

    I am very sorry to hear of this tragedy for your family.  Losing a dog is like losing a family member and my thoughts are with you and yours during this hard time.

  • Anonymous

    I read the posted legal hunting hours. I may just be too intelligent to assume that legal hunting times would include the most dangerous hours when people can’t see, twilight. This is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen. This chart needs to be changed in the interests of safety and common sense. TWILIGHT is NOT the time to be hunting PERIOD.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TJYZV7JWWJCPG7BX65EM6UOHZ4 Skowhegan Resident

    doug,
    oagrad here!

  • Anonymous

    I also knew him, before and after this happened, and I agree with your assessment. He was a thoroughly decent and kind man whose life was forever devastated by this tragedy. It’s too bad this old case is being dragged out again,complete with his name. It is mindless chatter that serves no purpose and only fuels the bile of mean-spirited people. I agree with you. Some of these comments make me sick, too.

  • Anonymous

    If he was really looking to hunt/kill a coyote, what was his reasoning for just leaving it dead in the field? If he didn’t think he did anything wrong, wouldn’t he have taken his “trophy” home with him?

  • Anonymous

    Perhaps fortune will smile on the coyote people and early some morning someone with a firearm and your level of decency will find YOU easy pickings!

  • Anonymous

    I am very disturbed, not only by this story, but also some of the comments. I am the proud owner of 2 shepherd mixes, one mixed with husky that looks very much like a coyote. I am also the mom of a 13 year old girl that just took hunter’s safety. There are several comments that make me want to never let my dog loose on my own property and also not want to let my daughter out hunting knowing that some of you are out there! Yes, coyote season is almost always open, but you still need to KNOW what you are shooting at! There is a HUGE difference between a domestic dog (I don’t care what breed) and a coyote. If you can’t tell the difference, don’t pull the trigger unless it is about to attack you! 

  • Anonymous

    If you feel the need and feel justified in shooting it… take it home! If you realize after it is too late that you shouldn’t have shot it… don’t leave it in the field, report your mistake!

  • Anonymous

    Virgil, if the law decides that I am at fault then I will act like a man and accept responsibility like a man rather than make excuses. Believe me, there is nothing that can be done do me that will make me feel worse than I already do. I was out searching for her until nearly 2 am, I searched the area she was found on foot with my other 2 dogs, pushing them like an Iditarod musher. They wouldn’t quit. She was only a few hundred yards from making it home, and the thought she was so close will haunt me forever. We have had no appetite, no sleep, and I have had to listen to my wife cry for days. If it makes people feel better to blame me, then go ahead and blame me. It doesn’t change the facts or the outcome. I would give anything and everything, including my own life for my dogs. Again I ask people not to judge but let the legal system do it for us. And we wholeheartedly thank everyone for their prayers, well wishes, and help to bring our puppy home. In this uncertain world we live in now, I never would have imagined there were so many people who cared so much for one little girl.

  • Anonymous

    The general culture of nations change, even evolve. We may hope ours will, too. But please don’t forget, my dear fellow anglophone, that a major image we still conjure up in our minds here in America when the general idea of the sport of hunting is suggested is of reckless Englishmen in cherry red jackets on horseback tearassing across the countryside behind a pack of baying hounds in hope of shooting one terrified little fox before the four-legged hunters rip it to shreds.

  • Anonymous

    Thank the dear Lord there are people like you to protect us from this terrible scourge of “yotes” sweeping over our state. I tremble to imagine the consequences if brave volunteers like yourself ever ceased to take every conceivable opportunity to bang away at these monstrous creatures. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_5IN73PYH343WKSBJNUXXV4GPNQ CarrieH

    Maggies Dad, my thoughts and prayers are with you, no matter what the circumstances. Your baby is lost, and I am so sorry. You are in my thoughts tonight

  • Anonymous

    Maine has a terribly liberal law on killing coyotes:

    http://www.sportsmansalliance.com/Hunting/MaineCoyoteNetwork/CoyoteHuntingLaws/tabid/166/Default.aspx

    Coyotes deserve their place in the ecosystem.

  • Anonymous

    WHO CARES ITS COYOTE SEASON THERES A DOG IN THE WOODS THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE A COYOTE I WOULD HAVE SHOT IT TOO OWNER AT FAULT TIE YOUR DOG UP

  • Anonymous

    Squaretailbrookie, you forgot to mention that to hunt on private property a person needs permission from the landowner, which apparently the hunter in this story did have. I have been told by lawyers and insurance companies that the landowner MIGHT be sued if such a thing as this happened. The landowner who allowed this hunter to hunt on his property MIGHT have some residual blame. That is why I do not allow hunting on my land.

  • Anonymous

    Not that it makes any difference, but you probably have it backwards. The first shot is usually the best. The second was probably wasted on a running target by an amateur.
    I would agree that there is no excuse for not positively identifying your target.

  • Anonymous

    german shepards do NOT resemble coyotes. Plus, why shoot a coyote, that puzzles me….

  • Anonymous

    I have a Sheppard and golden retriever mix named Maggie, this hits a little close to home. Apparently this clown was just looking to kill something, anything. 

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_G7TM2WWUSPPTO2SNDBEXTLHSRQ Confucius

    Sorry for your loss

  • Anonymous

    Question for the hunters out there…
    If you were in the woods hunting and saw a dog- what would you think?  That the dog was running deer! And shoot it, no matter the breed.  Guys not guilty. If you honestly love your dogs, keep them home.

  • Anonymous

    I know that was his point, I was commenting that you can kill coyotes all year long.

  • Anonymous

    I have lost coon dogs while hunting at night, does that mean I am exempt from the leash law? Or do I get a fine every time it happens? To me, there is a big difference between willfully running at large, than an escape. I think a lost dog is just that, a lost dog. If the dog bit someone while it was lost then all bets are off. 

  • Anonymous

    Target ID law Guy deserves to lose his license for 5 years

  • Anonymous

    Wow- now there is a new low. I have on problem with coyotes- or target idetification.

  • Anonymous

    I have passed up some good shots on Coyotes  because I took too much time making sure it wasn’t a dog since my farm is not very far from residences, and several neighbors have huskies and shepherds. After reading about this tragic event, I have no regrets about wasted opportunities. Sad for all concerned.

  • Anonymous

    Did the owner of the german shepherd  get a summons for letting it Run at large? Alao Look at what just happened to all the zoo animals that were released, I think in Ohio, they just shot them.

  • Anonymous

    I am sorry for your loss. It is pretty scarey when you think about people roaming the woods with loaded guns. They “mistake” dogs for coyotes and if you remember over 20 years ago a man from this area mistook a woman for a deer in Hermon! I think something happens to SOME people when they get in the woods. It makes no sense and will not ever make sense. Your family member Maggie will be sadly missed, just remember you had two great years with her!  

  • Anonymous

    “If you were in the woods hunting and saw a dog- what would you think? That the dog was running deer! And shoot it, no matter the breed.”

    And in Maine, that is illegal too. Maine Warden’s are charged with doing that.

  • Anonymous

    virgil, and as long as people post that a GSD can be mistaken for a coyote (especially after the BDN posted the photo) I will respond.

    For me, it is a matter of principal that a hunter know what they are shooting at before they pull the trigger.

  • Anonymous

    teggie yelling never helps anyting.

    So you feel the hunter has no responsibility in this matter at all?

  • Anonymous

    Maine has a landowner liability law. That says you are not responsable for the injury or actions of someone recreating on your land.And hunting is a recreation. So maybe you should take the no tresspassing signs down and let pepole hunt on your land.And find a new lawyer and send a copy of the Maine law to your insurance company.

  • Anonymous

    My post was to help clarify that Maine law does not have a state wide leash law which many people believe they do.

  • Anonymous

    I do not believe the owner receive a summons. I suspect the Wardens and Sheriff Deputies may have come to the conclusion that having their dog shot and killed was punishment enough.

    As for Ohio, different circumstances entirely.

  • Anonymous

    It’s not ” running loose” in their own back yard. They were there supervising their animals remember there were three, the puppy accidently got into the woodline and got lost leading to other things. A lost dog dosen’t just run loose they can get lost, unfortunately during hunting season and near dark. Hard to find a lost dog after darkness sets in. I don’t see that that puppy did anything wrong in nature. Such a sad loss…..

  • Anonymous

    I hope you have enjoyed your stay in the USA.
    And I hope your trip back to the UK goes well.
    Good bye.

  • Anonymous

    It’s too bad that people don’t have any feelings for ANY animal or other human beings. Now that is LOW……….. After all -  People hunt….. People kill……

  • Anonymous

    Tragic.
    Too bad the dog escaped and was running loose.
    You never know what fate may befall a pet not under total control.
    Always best to keep them leashed.
    Better luck with the other pets.

  • Anonymous

    Unfortunately the only “details” we’ll ever get is the story he spins in an attempt to cover his butt. So, it won’t be the least bit reliable.   

    I want to know why he didn’t immediately go over to the “coyote,” realize it was not a coyote, and then try to get some help for the poor dog. Instead he left the scene. Scum.

  • Anonymous

    A dog is no longer under control when it breaks to chase a squirrel. Voice control is only good as long as the dog submits to it. Once the dog breaks free, it is running loose.

    A small fenced in area for relieving itself–or a leash–would have prevented this very sad happening. The very first improvement I made to my house when I bought it was putting up a fence for my dog. If you don’t have a fence or a leash, your dog is at the mercy of cars, wild animals, hunters, whatever. I hold the family partly responsible.

  • Anonymous

    If Maggie was in a fence or an a leash, she’s be alive today, to.

  • Anonymous

    My heartfelt condolences for your loss. I’ve been a German Shepherd owner my entire life and to this point I’ve been fortunate in that all my dogs have lived long, full lives. I can’t imagine losing one this way, not just prematurely but at the hands of another human being. I’m so sorry. I hope you’re all holding up ok.

  • Anonymous

    And I have said that is correct.

    But the ultimate responsibility lies with the hunter. According to the Warden Service he “thought” it was a coyote. Maine has a 100% identification rule. If you don’t know 100% what you are shooting at you don’t shoot. That means no excuses are acceptable.

  • Anonymous

    Virgil is right. There were two mistakes made here: the hunter fired at (and then left to die) an animal without identifying it first. The owners let their dog outside a fence without a fence, leash or other restraint where it might break after a squirrel or other animal and get itself into trouble. If either fact were changed, Maggie would be alive today. I am a dog owner myself and I know if I let my dog off the leash outside of the fence that I am rolling the dice. Usually it’s getting hit by a car that I worry about.

  • Anonymous

    If I get paralyzed stepping out into a crosswalk in front of a car, it will bring me lots of comfort knowing that the car driver was “ultimately responsible” because I had the right of way.  Just saying that putting your dog in a situation where it can take off and get hit, shot, etc., is the dog owner’s decision, and the family took a risk when it turned its dogs out. Why put your loved ones at risk that someone else will make a stupid decision?

  • Anonymous

    Agree…there is no resemblance to a coyote.  This Shepard had very defined coloring and nothing like a coyote..the coyote is smaller than a shepard.  Usually ragged looking.  This was just a very dumb move to shoot first…look after.  and then to leave it there?  Wrong..just wrong!

  • Anonymous

    Yes thanks for posting that, I don’t know why so many people think there is a state wide leash law.  Towns may enact one, but the state does not have one. 

  • Anonymous

    If this guy can’t tell the difference between a coyote and a dog, and he’s not patient enough to make sure he knows what he’s killing before he pulls the trigger, then he should not be running around in the woods with a gun.  I’m sorry that he killed this families pet.  I’m glad that he didn’t kill a child.  This guy needs to lose his license to hunt before someone gets hurt.

  • sara bowden

    It’s November in Maine. The woods are full of people with guns, for the sole purpose of shooting animals. An orange collar should not be considered protection for a pet running loose. My sympathy is for the dog, who was a victim from all angles.

  • Anonymous

    A coyote? Seriously? No he didn’t..They shot the dog because they thought she was “running deer”. I have heard the warning many times..IF A DOG RUNS DEER..hunters will shoot them. This is sad and disgusting and now the hunter is lying! I am so sorry for you the owners. I know there will forever be a void in your hearts and the other dogs! Please give them extra attention and I hope you can have some peace soon.

  • Anonymous

    Negligent people caused this poor dog’s death.  Putting the dog out without proper supervision and control is wrong.  Pulling a trigger and killing it because you have mistaken it for a coyote is wrong.  

    Blaming one or the other alone is as wrong as letting the dog out unsupervised or pulling the trigger without knowing  your target.   Shame on everyone who needs to find wrong on just one side.

    Condolences to the owners and the hunter, no one is happy with what has occurred.   May you all find a way to put it behind you.

    Peace.

  • Anonymous

    100% identity…exactly!  dumb a@$   obviously has never even looked at a picture of a coyote

  • midmainer

    Not a hunter, don’t know about the laws of hunting, species, seasons. It would have added value to the article if some info was added. Was there a hunting season on at the time? For Coyote? Is it even legal to shoot a coyote?
    I do know a little about animals, and coyote are not a danger to humans they are afraid of us, and their main diet consists of really small animals like mice, moles, rabbits and birds. If they go after larger mammals its usually because that larger beast is dead or very close to it.

  • Anonymous

    For all of you who can’t resist the temptation to remind Maggie’s owners that they are responsible for Maggie running loose, well I think they are already well aware of that fact.  I can understand critizing them if it had been determined that they deliberately let Maggie run free, but the news article makes it clear that it wasn’t intentional.  They made a mistake.  Get over it.  This business of kicking someone when they are already down is not needed.

  • Anonymous

    The above quoted law _is_ the Maine “leash ” law.  It prohibits dogs running at large…Any dog off its owners property is at large unless it is on a leash.  I do not care how well trained a dog is, if it is not on a leash it is NOT under control.

  • Anonymous

    What bothers me a lot is the fact that after he shot, he walked away.  If he checked on what he was shooting at, he would have realized what he had done…and if he didn’t check, then he left an animal, injured or dead, in the woods!  Shame on him either way.  If he realized what he had done and still walked away…there aren’t words I can type here to descride what he is and how he should be treated.

  • Anonymous

    I grew up thinking that hunters were SUPPOSED to shoot stray dogs running loose in the woods so they wouldn’t chase deer.   I even lost a couple dogs that way when i was a kid.  Am I the only one that was brought up that way?  It’s definitely sad losing a pet which is a member of the family.  I would be devastated if my dog got shot.  That’s why I put an orange collar on him during shooting season in case he wanders too far away.

  • Anonymous

    We cannot  be sure our animals will always behave as we wish.  The fact that she took off after a squirrel was tragic but not necessarily your fault.  The hunter who shot her “for a coyote” bears a great deal if not most of the responsibility.  Anyone who hunts _must_ be completely sure of their target before shooting. I am so sorry for your loss.  I had a dog shot some years ago right across the street from my house, and next to the road.  Totally illegal.

  • Anonymous

    The driver of a car is supposed to have that car under control at all times. They are “ultimately responsible”.

  • kkmousse

    Recently someone shot a bird on the road of my street just above where I live.  From where the shell casings fell.  That hunter shot in the directions of the residences on this street.  I have heard it said that “I shot the deer, because I saw the white of its eye”. 
    Apparently there are many hunters that only see the prey in front of them only.  That makes them no different then animals themselves.
    If you take the time to look around and be sure that your pray is in a good clear location and can safely shoot the prey.  But also you need to see what is in the area around where the prey is. Are there people, homes, pets whatever.
    If you make a misstake it can not be taken back.  That is whyu you need a full clear shot in the first place.  I do not hunt but my husband does.  So take the time to be safe so that killings like this do not happen in the first place.
    Also this it is first day of hunting got to get the big one.  A rush to success does not mean kill the first thing just to kill it.  Gett’er done” seems to be the attitude.

  • Anonymous

    he should not be allowed to hunt in maine again if he does not know what he is shooting

  • Anonymous

    The answer to your questions are, Yes, Yes and Yes

  • LDR

    amen.

  • Anonymous

    It’s not the first time I’ve read of an incident like this.  Twenty years ago, some hunter in NH (from out of state) shot a sheep.  He was caught when he tried to tag his “deer”.  Seriously.

  • Anonymous

    My sympathy goes out to this family who’s lost their beloved pet.  I really can’t see anyone mistaking a black and tan dog for a coyote. I have seen coyotes run across the road and they look grey or light tan to me.  I think the hunter just shot the dog as it was in the woods. 

  • Anonymous

    Chris the dog does not been to be on a leash.

    ” “At large” means off the premises of the owner and not under the control of any person whose personal presence and attention would reasonably control the conduct of the animal.”

    The key word is “and”. There is no mention expressed or implied about a leash. For myself, I would never have my dogs off leash when I am off my property. But some dogs are trained to the point that they will respond to an owners command instantly, regardless of outside stimuli.

  • LDR

    I speak for myself and I know hundreds of others that can say our heart goes out to you for your  loss of Maggie.  Until you’ve loved and lost a dog, no one knows the void it leaves in your home and family.  Regardless of the circumstances.  Times are hard but I intend to make a donation to a local shelter in Maggies memory. Or a German Shepherd rescue, whichever you would prefer.  It is a small thing but I hope it may give you some comfort.

  • Anonymous

    Too bad the actual law does not agree with your opinion “  I do not care how well trained a dog is, if it is not on a leash it is NOT under control”.

    If you can find the state law that states  EXPLICITY that dogs must be on a leash, than I’ll give you credit. 
    According to Title 7, section. 3911 it is “unlawful for any dog… to be at large, except when used for hunting.”  “At large” is defined at Title 7, section 3907, sub-section 6. It does not specify that a dog has to be on a leash. Municipalities can enact local ordinances requiring dogs to be on leashes.

    Well trained dogs, such as dogs trained and used for hunting, or mine, which is bred and trained to herd cattle, are quite capable of being both off leash and at the same time under command, but obviously you don’t understand nor will you be convinced of that, which at the conclusion of this post, will no longer to matter to me, as I know beyond any reasonable doubt that I am correct in this matter.

  • Anonymous

    The driver of a car is supposed to have that car under control at all times. They are “ultimately responsible”.

  • Anonymous

    what is surprising to me is that this dog was running at large for a few days –Where I live the Coyotes would have made short work of him/her prob the 1st nite-Coyotes don’t take well to pampered pets. Are there coyotes in Orrington ? And if so they must be more citified .

  • Anonymous

    BULL i have been a hunter and trapper/nuisence trapper with 2 states, for over 25 years i have taken thousands of coyotes i’ve even taken coy-dog and i don’t see how a responsable person could have done this, i also have taught the conservation education program, you know the one that teaches ETHICS AND TO BE AWARE OF YOUR BACKSTOP, stuff like this really upset’s me.

  • Anonymous

    People need to be aware that not of us who hunt are considered “trigger happy”.  The individual responsible for Maggie’s death was evidently not aware of the target.  Many who I hunt with are saddened with this situation and there have been times the sight has been on an animal and the trigger was not pulled due to question of what the target was.  I am fearful people are going to accuse hunter as a whole as irresponsible.  We are not responsible for this one individual.  As for those of you pushing the fact that Maggie was not on a leash, she was let out with supervision to so what dogs need to do and was, unfortunately, on the scent of an animal.  Again, prior to individuals commenting please make yourself familiar with the laws of the state.  For those who do not own dogs, one must understand they run off after things and the act is completely out of human control.  To try and place the blame on the family of the dog is a bit much.  The rules for dogs running at large vary from town to town and are aimed at individuals who do not attend to their animals.  In this situation the owners worked themselves tirelessly to find their lost dog from the moment she left their property.  Speculation leads to criticism and, after reading a few of these posts, I am horrified.  The Maine law states Game Wardens have the authority to shoot a dog if they are chasing a deer, not individuals themselves.  The family has been through a very difficult time over these past three days and there will be more for them to
    endure.  Please place yourselves in a position of neutrality until all details have been revealed.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VI5WTVDOQEX4M6UAEVBC7GROOQ Kelly

    I know the hunter was never charged, that’s what’s ridiculous.  BigDN got it right, she was trying to wave him away as he was too close to her home.

  • Anonymous

    Running loose or not, state law does not allow for the shooting of dogs unless they are attacking YOUR livestock.

    It does not allow a hunter to shot a dog that is “running deer”.

    Maine is very specific when it comes to 100% identification before pulling the trigger.

    The following is from the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Hunting and Trapping Regulations.

    “Target Identification While Hunting”

    While hunting, a hunter may not shoot at a target without at that point in time being certain that it is the wild animal or wild bird sought.

    A reasonable and prudent hunter:

    Bears the risk of loss of legitimate prey to avoid the risk of the destruction of human life; neither disregards the risk of causing the death of another human being nor fails to be aware of that risk as a consequence of misidentification; and never bases identification upon sound alone or even upon sound in combination with what appears to be an appendage of the wild animal or wild bird sought.

    Bases identification upon obtaining an essentially unobstructed view of the head and torso of the potential target.

    Recognizes that these sound and sight target-determining factors are affected by a number of other considerations, including, but not limited to the distance to the target, surrounding or intervening terrain and cover, lighting and
    weather conditions, the hunter’s own ability to hear and see, the hunter’s own experience and the proximity of other persons in the hunter’s immediate vicinity.

    http://www.eregulations.com/maine/hunting/target-identification-while-hunting/

  • Anonymous

    Anyone that questions the responsibility of the hunter in this matter should read the Hunting and Trapping Regulations found on the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website. Specifically the Target Identification While Hunting piece. http://www.eregulations.com/maine/hunting/target-identification-while-hunting/

    It is crystal clear and really has zero leeway for the hunter in this case.

  • Anonymous

    There is an alternative to a leash or a tie out…fence the yard. If you do it yourself it’s not that costly, it keeps the dogs safe and it’s pretty tough for a hunter to get confused about what the “woods” are if there’s a fence around it.

    This guy gives good hunters a bad name.

  • Anonymous

    Rule #1.  Treat every gun as if it were loaded.

    Rule #2.  Be sure of your target and everything beyond it.

  • http://twitter.com/OhmyDLM Darcy Madden

    I read all of the comments on this news story and people are debating this and that for the laws. How about the law of being a decent human being. You shoot a dog that you so-call have “mistaken” for a coyote, you then discover that it’s SOMEONES PET, and you don’t do anything about it? You walk away and leave it in the woods knowing that someone is going to be in agony over their missing pet? Not only are you a poor hunter, but now you’re a f’ing lowlife on top of that! Makes me super angry and I don’t understand why no-one is talking about that… ok, so you made a mistake (so you say), but should that excuse you from doing the “right-thing” afterwards??? Arghhhhhh

  • Anonymous

    That’s what happens when we demonize one particular animal species and think it’s OK to just  shoot them whenever we see them.

  • ladybaroque

    I am so very, verys about this.  I cannot imagine losing one’s beloved dog or cat. 

  • Anonymous

    Most hunters are inept  .. just an excuse to escape the wife or their parole officer.

  • Anonymous

    Seriously, that is the comment you post in regards to this situation.  I am highly offend because I am far from inept and hunt with my husband often.  (I am sure you feel for him being unable to escape his wife)  To classify and generalize hunters as criminals or as imbeciles places you in a category all your own.  The article is in regards to a wrongdoing and you seem inept at your ability to understand. 

  • Anonymous

    to Maggie’s parents: I am so sorry for your loss. Losing a pet can be heartbreaking and you never imagine it to happen this way. My thoughts are with you. My son and his girlfriend live in Orrington and help spread the notice on FB about Maggie missing. Take care.

  • Anonymous

    Most likely the dog was chasing a deer. (most likely). Most hunters seeing a dog chase a deer will shoot the dog. Ever see the results of a deer after a dog attacks it. Very cruel. Sometimes the dog will leave the deer to suffer and die after it cripples the deer.
    This owner should be prosecuted at least the same level as the guy who shot the dog.
    It is known that once a dog starts chasing deer it will not stop doing this. It becomes a challenge for the dog. A dog that cannot be controlled for this, it should be put down.

  • Jennifer Robidoux

    WELL SAID, ROGER!

  • Brenda Morrell

    I was told by a Game Warden in my area that your dog has to be immediately accessible to your call.Your dog was lost. It is not your fault.Never believe it is. You did everything you could to find Maggie.We all did.
    I believe the man who shot her…Shot her on purpose because he felt she was out there running deer.He knew full well what he was doing when he did it.I owned Shepherds for many  years,she was young and still learning about life.Her nose got her in a bad situation.
    And for you people that are pro dog killer…Shame on you! It’s not like these folks let their dogs run wild…she slipped off. So sorry about your girl…she slipped into our hearts and there she will stay.

  • Anonymous

    Coyotes come in many colors and sizes. I’ve personally seen 2 jet black coyotes in my lifetime. I’m not making excuses but a shepard easily resembles a coyote especially without a collar or some other flag. I feel for both the owners as well as the hunter involved. People are always quick to jump the gun and say the hunter just wanted to kill something. The state stresses there is a major coyote predator problem and hunters shoot them in hopes they are helping the deer herd. Like the dog owner stated. Let the legal system straighten it out. By the way, what if this hunter on his way to his hunting spot ran the dog over with his vehicle. State law would hole the owner responsible for damages to the vehicle for not being in control of his animal. Just saying.

  • Anonymous

    also, you can hunt coyote all year long, with a permit, at times, at night too.
    that guy knwe darn well that it was not a coyote. same as supposedly a man being shot, mistaken for a deer or other animal, a croc of u know what. impossible to mistake a man for deer.

  • Anonymous

    Time for Mr. White to have a vision check…or his license revoked…

  • Anonymous

    I am very surprised no one here is blaming the gun! What a double standard. It’s an outrage. Had this hunter shot a person it would be “time to ban the guns that kill”. This is good for all the anti gun activists to understand. It is people that kill people, not guns, my gun has never killed another human being, a coyote or 2, maybe.

  • Anonymous

    neither the dog nor the hunter were on thier own property. The hunter had permission to hunt on the property he was on and the dog had left his owners property and chased a squirrel into the woods.

  • Anonymous

    target identification and keeping your pets leashed or fenced in could of prevented this….

  • Anonymous

    Yes, and a deer and a cow are both ruminants.  Your point?

  • Anonymous

    sunrise is not broad daylight

  • Anonymous

    you can paint him white and write DOG in big black letters down his side but if he’s standing on the east end of a field at sunrise he’s gonna look like a big black coyote to some.

  • Anonymous

    german shepards dont run deer? thats a joke.

  • Theresa Ann Proulx

    ALSO, its not coyote season? so whats he doing shooting a “coyote”?  He obviously should of taken a hunters safety course agains so he knows the rules, or he could of been like the rest of the RESPONSIBLE hunters out there, and made sure he knew what his target was. No matter what excuse this coward comes up with, it won’t be good enough! She was in an open field! he shot ONCE, missed and SHOT again. and he left her there. until you know the whole story, don’t leave your comments. No one cares about your opinion, its about what happened. 

  • Anonymous

      Your dog may be the exception.  I never said the law requires dogs to be on a leash, but the dog that is truly_ under control_ when off premises without a leash is rare…

  • Anonymous

      I never said the law requires dogs to be on a leash, but the dog that is truly_ under control_ when off premises without a leash is rare… I agree with you… my dogs are never off leash when not on my property.

  • Anonymous

    …..could definatly be mistaken for a coyote
    not that he’s right by any means, he didnt have positive id of his target and he shouldnt have shot.

    yeah i believe thats pretty much what I said.

  • Anonymous

    maggie wasnt shot in broad daylight she was shot at sunrise

  • Anonymous

    I’m really sorry this happened, truly. However, the owners need to accept a bit of responsibility on this. There is a state leash law and I don’t think it allows going to the potty as an exemption. I think if you’re going to charge the hunter in this horrific accident, I think the owners need to be charged as well. Our pets go potty INSIDE.

  • Anonymous

    When my neighbors dog (from 1/4 mile away) shows up in my yard chasing my cats and my chickens, he is NOT under his owners control, regardless that the neighbor claims “he never leaves the yard”.  The problem is not with the well trained dogs ( although even those can “escape” control at times) the problem is those who  insist that they do NOT have to be on a leash, but do not have any semblance of control.  If the dog is leashed he is under control.  Another neighbor has a very well trained dog who is leashed when off premises and is trained NOT to leave the yard.  However, one day as I was walking my dogs , on leash, on the road quite a distance from the neighbors yard, the dog ran out at us barking _onto the road off premises in spite of his training_..My dogs are small, one is tiny and she was terrified.  The dog went back to his yard immediately, but it just goes to show even well trained dogs can slip up.

  • Anonymous

    Coyote’s are in season also.  Last I checked, they do not have antlers and resemble a dog.

  • Anonymous

    I read the comments and Honestly I can not believe what some people say on here.   First and foremost, condolences to the family of this dog.  I looked for your dog all week but sadly could not find her.

    The simple truth here is that Seth White shot and killed a domestic animal.  Hunters need to be %100 sure before they shoot anything, Period.

     What Seth should have done is identified the animal properly and notified the animal control officer.  His ignorance cost the life of an innocent dog.

  • Anonymous

    WOODYSWAY               QUOTE–  I’m really sorry this happened, truly. However, the owners need to
    accept a bit of responsibility on this. There is a state leash law and I
    don’t think it allows going to the potty as an exemption. I think if
    you’re going to charge the hunter in this horrific accident, I think the
    owners need to be charged as well. Our pets go potty INSIDE. QUOTE–

    Next time your dog get shot and killed I’ll make sure and blame you for it.  After all, it’s your fault no mater right?  And you must have some small pets to go inside, dogs like this can’t go inside.

  • Anonymous

    Please Everyone have Compassion For this Family at this difficult time~Let the Court System handled this~I know Everyone is entitled to their own opinion~Please Again have some Compassion for the Family.   It Should tell You something that Maggie’s Dad would give his own life for his dogs~I can’t imagine the pain this Family is going thru at this time. ~Thank-You~

  • Anonymous

    The following is the second and third point from the Target Identification While Hunting section of The Official 2011-12 Hunting and Trapping Laws and Rules.

    A reasonable and prudent hunter:

    Bases identification upon obtaining an essentially unobstructed view of the head and torso of the potential target.

    Recognizes that these sound and sight target-determining factors are affected by a number of other considerations, including, but not limited to the distance to the target, surrounding or intervening terrain and cover, lighting and weather conditions, the hunter’s own ability to hear and see, the hunter’s own experience and the proximity of other persons in the hunter’s immediate vicinity.

    http://www.eregulations.com/maine/hunting/target-identification-while-hunting/

  • Anonymous

    Even if I concede that point it doesn’t matter because the second and third point from the Target Identification While Hunting section of The Official 2011-12 Hunting and Trapping Laws and Rules says it all.

    A reasonable and prudent hunter:

    Bases identification upon obtaining an essentially unobstructed view of the head and torso of the potential target.

    Recognizes that these sound and sight target-determining factors are affected by a number of other considerations, including, but not limited to the distance to the target, surrounding or intervening terrain and cover, lighting and weather conditions, the hunter’s own ability to hear and see, the hunter’s own experience and the proximity of other persons in the hunter’s immediate vicinity.

    http://www.eregulations.com/maine/hunting/target-identification-while-hunting/

  • Anonymous

    Nice point.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Cecil-Gray/1027119962 Cecil Gray

    People need to take care to know what it is they are  shooting at. That is the primary flare in this story.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Cecil-Gray/1027119962 Cecil Gray

    What are you making up? I think the “hunter” would have been shooting at the deer and even so there was NO deer in this story or in that field.

  • Anonymous

    Actually you can shoot coyotes all year long, there is a night hunting season though.

  • Anonymous

    happyguy123 there is no evidence that Maggie was “chasing deer”. And Maine law is pretty clear on who has the authority to shoot a dog “chasing deer” and it isn’t “Joe Hunter”.

    And I believe the Warden, Sheriffs Deputies and Animal Control Officer exercised the proper amount of discretion by not issuing a Summons to the owners of Maggie. Ask yourself this, what would a Summons accomplish when they already lost their dog?

  • Anonymous

    Well that is a pretty asinine statement to make.

  • Anonymous

    And if the hunter cannot 100% identify the animal he should never pull the trigger. That’s not my rule, that’s the State of Maine’s rule.

  • Anonymous

    The dogs caught a scent of a squirell? Are you serious? Do these dogs run off every time they catch a scent of a squirell? I don’t know about you, but I see those things running around in the trees every day, might want to keep the dogs chained.

  • Anonymous

    The information on coyote diet is changing, what western and mid western coyotes feed on  was accepted as the norm for all coyotes across the continent.  New information suggests otherwise as seen in several scientific papers, northern and eastern coyotes do prey on larger game given the time of year.  They also are not unknown to kill domestic animals, I’ve seen remains of grown sheep taken by coyotes.  They are an opportunistic animal and will eat what ever they can catch.  Though I agree in general coyotes and most wild animals are not a danger to humans, there are exceptions to the fact, as has been seen in recent events.  Sometimes coyotes can be quite brazen, you don’t often see them in someones yard under an apple tree in the middle of the day and stare at you, but I have.  Always be wary of wild animals, they are unpredictable.

  • Anonymous

    I am so sorry for your heartbreak and loss of your beautiful dog. Thinking of you, your family and your other two dogs. I know the last time I lost one the other one was obviously affected just as we were. God Bless you all!

  • Anonymous

    That was a pretty different situation, those were very different animals that posed a real threat.  Some people will say otherwise, but I agree with what they did down in Zainesville in handling that situation.

  • Anonymous

    Thank you, Roger – I was going to say the same thing….coyotes are maybe 45 pounds, shepards closer to 100, that’s a HUGE difference, not too mention the difference in body type, ears, etc.

  • Anonymous

    Totally agree.  If you shot it by mistake, admit it and find the owner.   Walking away was the cruelest thing he could do in that situation.  (After shooting the dog that is.)  

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MK7PZXR57URSLEZTBS2KGK6KFM Toddlermom

    I am so sorry for your loss.  As a mom to pets and children, my heart breaks for the emptiness I know your family is feeling.

  • Anonymous

    If I saw a dog out while hunting, after making sure it was a dog, I’d stand up and holler out to make sure there isn’t someone walking around out there.  Then if no one was around I’d try and grab the dog and take it to the nearest house and see if they owned it, if no one is home I’d tie it up and leave a note.  Though I understand that someone could make  mistake, the least you can do is contact the owner.

  • Anonymous

    coyotes are tiny in comparison to Shepards, not to mention the markings

  • Anonymous

    He shot a dog perhaps by mistake.  But leaving it without trying to find the owner is the lowest form of low possible. Should have manned up after the “mistake”.  That’s the kind of person that hits your dog in the road and drives off. 

  • Anonymous

    As an animal lover & advocate I am sorry for the loss of  your beautiful baby.     They become part of our family, they are more faithful, sincere & loveable than many humans
    we meet in life.   Mistook for a coyote?  I hardly think so,  the  coward is simply a  heartless
    individual without a soul.  Likely just waiting for his opportunity to seal some vendetta he’s got against life in general & sadly took it out on an innocent as most cowards do.  Again I am sorry, she was beautiful.

  • Anonymous

    My mistake. Thanks for the link. I still think nobody should be recreationally shooting during twilight, but since you carried a badge I can’t imagine you’d disagree with that.

  • Anonymous

    Sounds like selective enforcement on the part of DIFW. Why wasn’t the dog owner summonsed for allowing the dog to run at large?

  • Anonymous

    “Sounds like selective enforcement on the part of DIFW.”

    No, sounds like the Warden, Sheriffs Deputies and Animal Control Officer exercised discretion which every officer has.
    ~~~~~
    “Why wasn’t the dog owner summonsed for allowing the dog to run at large?”

    To what end? The family just had their GSD shot, killed and left two days in a field. My guess is they thought that was punishment enough.

  • Anonymous

    What about the squirrel? 

  • Anonymous

    You could be right Hassenpheffer but if he reported it when it happened the penalty may have been reduced for his honesty. But since he didn’t it may end up costing him more in the long run.

  • Anonymous

    Maybe the squirrel set him up! Have you ever noticed that chipmunks will wait for a car and then run across the road, drop an acorn or other nut on the way, and go back to eat the meat?

  • Anonymous

    No one is defending the hunter. But to let dogs out without restraint (of a fence or a leash) is rolling the dice. A cat, squirrel, or wild animal scent and the dogs are off. The hunter might be the proximate cause of the dog being shot, but allowing a dog to run loose exposes it to so many dangers. Seems the dog, shot on Wednesday morning, had been loose since sometime Monday. 

  • Anonymous

    Correction, Edited for content: Better read the Maine Revised Statutes concerning “Dogs at Large”. There is no distinction between dogs on their owner’s property and dogs not on their owner’s property. The Definition of “At Large” is important here. 6. At large. “At large” means off the premises of the owner and not under the control of any person whose personal presence and attention would reasonably control the conduct of the animal. So an animal is not “at large” unless is is off it’s owner’s property. That’s the correction. Interestingly, the definition of a person who’s presence and attention would reasonably control the animal has no parameters, meaning it could be a 6 year old, just so long as their presence and attention reasonably controls the animal.  http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusmest3401_4162.htm#s3911 There is no provision that you can shoot them. You can bring them to their owner or to an animal shelter.

  • Anonymous

    The State Statute is clear http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusmest3401_4162.htm#s3911 but there is no provision that allows shooting the dog. You or an animal control officer may return the animal to his owner or to an animal shelter. If your pet goes missing, one of the first things you should do is call the animal shelter and the animal control officer.

  • Anonymous

    And then of course there are those that go ahead and shoot a cow just for fun.

  • http://www.facebook.com/BigDadNick Nick Norwood

    It really is to bad that this happened, but the owner should have known better then to allow the dog out without a leash during hunting season in the first place.

  • Anonymous

    Lost dogs don’t tend to bite people. They mooch, hitchhike, stand in the middle of the road, and attack other animals at times but are most interested in finding their way home, usually.

    Dogs that deliberately escape can be very dangerous though, and never be too sure there’s only one of them, because they are pack hunters and will make a loud, inescapable, frontal attack while their buddy is outflanking you. They can run faster than you, and your only real defense is to scare the crap out of the dog initiating the frontal attack (usually the female). E.g. charge at the dog looking it straight in the eyes with your head down while hollering and threatening it as if it were trying to kill one of your kids. Be the mother bear in charge. That will usually send both dogs running for their lives. Or you can just stand there and get mauled, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

  • Anonymous

    Poor Maggie. :( I have a German Shepherd and my boyfriend is always saying how she looks just like a coyote. I honestly don’t see the resemblance. She should’ve properly been identified before shooting.  It’s not like he was up north in the middle of the Maine woods, you know? If there was even a small possibility that it could’ve been a dog, then don’t shoot. 

  • Anonymous

    I am so, so sorry to hear of your dog, this is so sad, there is no way that a German Shepherd  could be mistaken for a Coyote….i can understand if it was a Siberian, but not a German Shepherd….i’d say this guy needs to lose his right to own guns, if his eye sight is that bad!….what would have happened had that been a small child that had escaped from the house, and somehow managed to to lose their way in to the woods (its been known to happen), you would all be jumping on that band wagon wouldnt you?…well its no different it being a dog!

  • Rebecca Medeiros

    As a dog owner/lover myself I feel this is an outrage.  There is no way Maggie could have or should have been mistaken for a coyote.  I just hope justice is served.  I have a chocolate lab and he is my pride and joy.  I can only imagine what they family is going through.  For those who do not own dogs they become like you children.  There another member of your family.  I’m going to go home and hug my Jake a little tighter tonite.  Much love to the Cota family as they  try to heal from this tradgedy.  And much love to Maggie.  RIP beautiful girl!

  • Anonymous

    No chained, but protected by a fence.

  • Anonymous

    Even assuming it was accidental and the hunter feels bad, he should never be given a hunting permit again.  If you can’t identify game correctly, you have no business hunting.  

    I’m sorry for your loss. :(

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NXPTPFL746OV2VGR5WBOEUF6W4 Roger

    From your response I am guessing you do not live in rural Maine and have either pets of farm animals. Yotes can wipe out a whole chicken coupe in no time. They can kill a few sheep a night or your calfs. IF you owned any of the above you would know how expensive that can be. also the major reason our deer are in such bad shape is yotes. There are many folks who loose there pets cats and dogs to them because they come right up to houses. I have seen dogs get taken by yotes while tied outside.

    Come up to the real Maine and ask a farmer about the damage and the cost of having a uncontrolled yote population run a muck on there farms. Many of us live off what our  land provides. Loosing juts say 4 chickens can make the difference between eggs to sell and eat or having to choose. Loosing just one calf can make or break some farms.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NXPTPFL746OV2VGR5WBOEUF6W4 Roger

    Yes yotes come in different colors sizes and shapes.  That still does not negate the hunters responsibility to know both what your shooting at and what is beyond your target. If you not 100 percent sure then you do not shoot it. It is just that simple.

  • Anonymous

    What makes you think that he has any feeling for people??? 

  • Anonymous

    ..to someone inexperienced who shouldn’t be hunting.

  • Anonymous

    Who would want to shoot a coyote anyway?  Are you going to eat it?  Can’t afford a coat at Walmart?  Seriously, what was he going to do with it anyway?  Leave it to rot, apparently.  Nice.

  • Anonymous

    First, it is uncommon for dogs to chase deer this time of year. A deer is faster than a dog until it gets slowed down in deep snow. Second, there is difference between unintentional ( the dog running off ) and intentional (aiming a loaded gun and pulling the trigger) So why should they get the same punishment? Had the dog tried to attack the man I would agree that the owner is responsible.

  • Anonymous

    You have the right to use deadly force to protect your domestic animals from harm. Weather it be from the neighbors dog, or a coyote.

  • Anonymous

    I agree with you 100%. If the dog was not showing any aggressive behavior it did not need to die. If you are any good with a gun, you have the ability to wait and see what the dogs intentions are before you kill it. 

  • Anonymous

    Why shoot a coyote?  These important predators often do little harm and have as much right to the natural environment as we do.  It’s very sad that a family lost a beautiful dog but coyotes, managed humanely, are good for the ecosystem and should be appreciated, or at least “managed” with the intention of not wiping them out.  It’s not at all true that the only good coyote is a dead coyote.

  • Anonymous

    I would think the red bandana around it’s neck would tell you it wasn’t a coyote.

  • Anonymous

    I am aware of that, but would not shoot a neighbors dog.  I have shot foxes and coyotes.

  • Eileen Sewell

    Why on earth would I want to kill animals?  They have a right to live their lives in peace just as we want to.  I would NEVER, EVER want to take an innocent life.  I do not eat meat, I enjoy all the fruits, vegetables and grains this world has to offer.  To destroy a life for sport…..it’s abominable to me.  I rescue and care, I don’t kill.  I have COMPASSION for living things and believe that, as the questionably higher intelligence, we humans should put ourselves outside the killing zone of the reptilian part of our brain.   I see sport as humans competing with and playing against humans, not pandering to our blood lust.   And let me add this – if an animal has to die for food, then I prefer to think it has died quickly and cleanly in its own environment rather than enduring a journey to a slaughterhouse .  So if you are hunting for food, I can accept that. That is not my bone of contention.   But who eats coyotes or bears?  Do all these huntsmen eat their kill?  I think not, but if you know different please enlighten me.  Finally, yes, a lot of British (not just English. I am Welsh) enjoyed their sport of fox hunting which I detest.  However, it is now banned in Britain although I am sure plenty goes on undetected.  But I have done my part in protesting about it so I am not just getting at Americans.  I have marched, attended meetings, barred the way for huntsmen in the Park in which I worked, while my daughter and her friends sabotaged hunt meetings by various means so that the dogs could not follow scents.  I feel passionately about the right to life and also about the need for humans to raise themselves above the need to kill for ‘sport’.

  • Anonymous

    yeah—shepherds do look more like wolves than they look like coyotes.  Wolves will be here eventually.

  • Eileen Sewell

    Please see my reply to Kired.

  • Anonymous

    yes, jd2008jd, the actions he took afterward are pretty c rappy and lousy.  He should have owned up to it and apologized, but, take a look at what people are saying on here—they want to string him up!  People are calling for his head.  If he believed he was shooting at a coyote, then he identified his target.  If the dog’s owner didn’t let their dog run at large, then the dog would still be alive.

  • Anonymous

    “It’s illegal to hunt before sunrise.”

    wrong.

    “Night hunting: Except as otherwise provided, wild birds and wild animals
    may not be hunted from ½ hour after sunset until ½ hour before sunrise
    the following day. Exceptions: migratory bird, Wild Turkey, raccoon (see
    below), and coyote.”

    http://www.eregulations.com/maine/hunting/general-hunting-regulations/

  • Anonymous

    Deer are in the Cervidae family.  Cows are in the Bovidae family. 
    Ruminantia is a suborder, not a family.  His point was referring to a family, not a suborder.

  • Anonymous

    Ruminantia is a suborder, not a family.  Deer are in the Cervidae family, Cows are in the Bovidae family.  His point was referring to families, not suborders.

  • Anonymous

    7am is not broad daylight, it is sunrise.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7C6WLMSVE4ALPWHNBMEZFQKCWY Michael B

    The slippery slope of killing for entertainment

  • Anonymous

    “…and there are more idiots and drunks out there with guns trying to get their deer.”

    lemme guess, you’ve never hunted before.  I have NEVER seen anyone drunk and hunting, especially at sunrise.

  • Anonymous

    Maybe if they get punished for their offense they will think more about letting their other dogs run at large and prevent them from ending up dead.

  • Anonymous

    “Why do people want to shoot beautiful animals like deer?”

    to eat.  Maybe you should stay out of US politics.  It seems like you take the meals on your plate for granted.

  • Anonymous

    You obviously have no idea about hunting, or at least how we hunt here in Maine.  We eat coyotes and bears here as well as squirrels and coons if need be.  Stick to your veggie diet all you want, but let me ask you this;  do you grow your own or do you buy it from the local market where you don’t know what kind of chemicals have been sprayed on/pumped into them or what kind of genetical modifications have been done?  A lot of us grow our own produce and hunt our own game here instead of buying all the artificial foods at the supermarket.

  • Anonymous

    All the more reason to be 100% sure of what you are shooting at. Obviously he wasn’t.

  • Eileen Sewell

    I take nothing for granted.  I grow vegetables and fruit, keep chickens for eggs and appreciate all the food I buy.   If you shoot clean and kill to put food on your table, at least the animal has had a decent, free life and a quick death – preferable to factory farming and slaughterhouses. 
    And it’s not a question of ‘US politics’ – it’s a question of a worldwide right to life. 
    It was an American poet, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, who wrote:
    ‘For hunger and fear and passion, alone drives beasts to slay, while wonderful Man, the king of the plain, tortures and kills for play.’

  • Anonymous

    On second thought maineax you are right. Let’s build a public stock down by the “cow pound” on Route 15 and put each of the owners in it for a day. Then people like you and others can throw rotten tomatoes at them.

    I do believe that knowing your dog was killed because he got away from you is punishment enough. What do you think rubbing salt in the wound will accomplish?

  • Anonymous

    Oh, now I remember the one in Hermon.  The one I was thinking of happened back in ’96, somewhere around Lincoln.  The woman was in her yard and was shot, can’t remember if she died though.  Same excuse with the “white mittens”…I wonder who used that excuse first…

  • Anonymous

    And he didn’t identify his target or Maggie would still be alive. It was a GSD and didn’t look anything like a coyote. I have never seen a coyote with the colorings of Maggie and I have seen many coyotes.

  • Anonymous

    heheheheh…I should probably wear an orange vest over it… ;-)
    I bought it about 21 years ago, and have had 3 dogs—the first dog was about 6 years old when I bought it.  All three dogs were very wary of the coat—they’d come up slowly, sniff around and then back up very slowly…funny as anything to watch!

  • Anonymous

    Yes, and a deer and a cow are both ruminants. Your point?     
    ***********************************************
    simple biology…you remember the classification of living organisms, right?  Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species….  Deer and cows are of the same order, but not the same family.  Dogs and coyotes and wolves are identical in classification, even down to SUBspecies.  German Shephers are just domesticated wolves or coyotes.

  • Anonymous

    No they aren’t. Read up on it. And you would have to blind to think they look alike.

  • Anonymous

    So why is there less and less private land available to hunters? This is a fact, not an opinion.

  • Anonymous

    OK. I read the law. I see many cautions, and the advice to get insurance. PLUS, I see nothing about damages caused to a 3rd party NOT ON THE huntee’s land, for example a stray bullet killing a neighbor on a neighbor’s land. I would rather be safe… Read the whole thing…..

    http://www.maine.gov/lor/landowner_liability.htm

  • Eileen Sewell

    Well said.  Good on you.

  • Anonymous

    Your entitled to your opinion as I am mine. If you want to continue down the road that Maggie “looked like a Coyote” feel free.

    But since you want to give this hunter a free pass (and go ahead and scream “I’m not defending the hunter”) because “he thought it was a Coyote” what did the two hunters think they were shooting at in Casco and Oxford on Friday?

    It is ALL about target identification and being 100% sure 100% of the time. No mistakes, no do overs, no gee I sorry.

  • Anonymous

    So did the two hunters shot yesterday in Casco and Oxford “look like Coyotes or deer”? Just wondering how you want to explain those away.

  • Anonymous

    By Maine law only a Game Warden IS allowed to shot a dog “running deer”.

  • Anonymous

    Yes, she died.

  • Anonymous

    Well I have but I must admit it was not dark. But I did not say that here were after dark or before sunrise. That was not the point about making sure your dog is more visible during hunting season. Also your horse, cat and cow. 

  • Anonymous

    That’s good. I think the only dogs that should be shot are the vicious dogs that are running at large. If you have a newcence dog in your yard try a b.b.gun or tell the owners that the next time it’s in your yard they can pick it up at the shelter. But one thing to remember is the article is not about a problem dog, it’s about a lost dog trying to find it’s way home.

  • Anonymous

    has this guy at least apologized to the family?

  • Anonymous

    Actually many people eat bear, I find it to be a good dish when prepared correctly.  But like I said it is not for everyone, and I can respect that.  

  • Anonymous

    What many people forget is that many everyday products and items contain parts or derivatives from animals.  I’ve met a couple people that wouldn’t give those products up while keeping up the protests and such, kept them from bothering me though.

  • Anonymous

    If anyone has the ability to completely eliminate coyotes from an ecosystem I would be thoroughly impressed.  They are exceptionally good at survival as a species and respond accordingly to various pressures. 

  • Eileen Sewell

    Well said, bevtmaine.  All life on earth has ‘as much right to the natural environment as we do’.    It’s the same with foxes here in Britain – they are part of the natural order and if we kill one in an area another soon moves in to take its place.   A gamekeeper once said ‘ah, but they get in amongst the pheasants and wipe them out’.  The response was ‘well, what do you want to do with the pheasants?  Exactly the same thing – blast them from the sky with guns’. 
    Live and let live.

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