Attorney & Law Firm Directory Verified US Attorneys
Sign In Free Sign Up

Charged with Having a Dog At Large. Court citation. Berwick, Maine 7/2014

Business 2 views 1 answers
My dog never left the edge of the property where my mother was caring for him (her home, not mine) He had been there many many times before. Has total voice command control with myself, my daughter and my mother as well as anyone who he knows. Very obedient. A jogger along the edge of the driveway...swatted at him as he barked in warning to him...not sure if it was a bite-the man had a superficial scratch on hand after swatting my dog. May have been unintentional as dogs 4 feet remained on the ground. no attack. no leg bite, no chase. only barking in warning. my mother called him to come..he did. no hesitation. Still I was charged, due in court tomorrow at 1pm. wondering my best defense. Charge- dog at large tho.not dog bite. I was not present. Pay fine or fight? I feel dog was Provoked.

Attorney Answer

1
Anthony Ferguson ·
The maximum fine for a first violation is $250, so what do you have to lose by contesting it? Under the factual scenario recited by you, I do not believe that you are in violation of this statute. I have concerns about your statement that you are unsure if your dog bit the jogger, but even if that occurred, it does not implicate the dog running at large statute There is no requirement that you leash your dog. This is from a State of Maine web page: According to Title 7, section. 3911 it is “unlawful for any dog… to be at large, except when used for hunting.” A definition of "at large” is found 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. http://www.maine.gov/legis/lawlib/whatis.htm#dogs Good luck to you.
0 upvotes

People Also Asked

Can a police arrest you for a dui and after taking a breath test charge you with dwi and t… 2 answers Setting myself up as a business… 0 answers Can I sue Medtronic for defective/dangerous product… 2 answers Can my brother-in-law sponsor me to become a legal permanent resident?… 1 answers Am I responsible for paying additional fees outside of a signed contract?… 3 answers I want to start my own van/transportation service. Should I incorporated or LLC and what t… 0 answers

Browse by Practice Area

Litigation 203,509 attorneys Real Estate 156,159 attorneys Personal Injury 149,024 attorneys Criminal Defense 99,634 attorneys Family Law 95,894 attorneys General Practice 90,854 attorneys Business Law 84,818 attorneys Business 82,448 attorneys Criminal Law 72,552 attorneys Intellectual Property 61,381 attorneys

Browse by State

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii