MAINE -- Julie Sutherland, the Raymond woman accused of not providing adequate medical care for a cat she fostered, was cleared of any wrongdoing during an appearance in Bridgton District Court in mid-April.
Sutherland was charged by backup Raymond Animal Control Officer Bobby Silcott with animal cruelty for not providing medical attention to a cat she was fostering for Harvest Hills Animal Shelter in Fryeburg.
Sutherland says she provided more than $200 worth of medical care for the female cat named Baby Girl, but that the cat died due to issues it contracted prior to being fostered. The cat is one of several animals that have died since a hoarding situation was discovered in Casco last summer.
Tamara Getchell, spokeswoman for the Cumberland County District’s Attorney’s Office, confirmed the charge was dropped against Sutherland and that the case was dismissed. Assistant District Attorney William Barry, who dismissed the case according to Getchell, did not return several calls for comment seeking clarification on why Sutherland was charged or why the case was dismissed.
Getchell said reasons for case dismissal cannot be made public due to privacy concerns in some cases.
Sutherland remains confused why she was charged with animal cruelty and summonsed by Silcott when she was attempting to nurse the cat back to health. She said she believes the charge stems from a falling out she had with the Fryeburg shelter earlier this year when Director Joan McBurnie tried to recover the kittens that Sutherland was also fostering.
Sutherland said she didn’t trust Harvest Hills to take care of the kittens and adopted them out on her own.
“Because there was no contract, that’s why they came after me. I was given momma and kitties, and told I could do what I wanted with them. And I adopted them out and they didn’t get any money for the babies,” Sutherland said. “So they were trying to use me as a scapegoat because of no medical attention to the rest of the cats while they were in their care.”
Sutherland said 15 of the cats that Harvest Hills had cared for after the Casco cat hoarding case have since died, Baby Girl among them.
McBurnie wouldn’t comment on the case but said the shelter has since clarified its foster agreement to indicate foster animals are not to be adopted and that they are property of the shelter.
In another twist to the case, Sutherland said it was against typical protocol that Raymond’s two animal control officers, Susan Fielder and Linda Alexander, didn’t charge her or serve her a summons but that Silcott, an animal control officer in other Lakes Region towns, did.
In an interview prior to the court appearance, Silcott was unwilling to explain his charge, but said he would once the case was complete. After charges were dropped, Silcott still did not want to comment on why Sutherland was charged.
“She got charged because there was evidence to show necessary medical attention was not provided,” Silcott said. “To protect everybody involved, it’s best I don’t say anything.”
Sutherland says the charges were based in the feud between her and Harvest Hills, where Silcott sits on the board of directors. She’s also upset that Silcott and Raymond’s animal control officers didn’t appear in court in April while she was required to appear.
“I was surprised that they never showed up in court. I think that means they knew they were blowing smoke,” Sutherland said.
Silcott said, “There was no need for me to show up. I didn’t have to.”
(KeepMECurrent.com - May 3, 2013)
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