Minnesota: Brandon Hesse Hamilton accused of body-slamming puppy over and over, breaking her leg

MINNESOTA -- A Detroit Lakes man accused of body slamming a 14-week-old puppy three or four times and breaking its leg is now charged with a felony rather than a gross misdemeanor.

Brandon Scott Hesse Hamilton, 32, of Detroit Lakes has been charged in Becker County District Court with felony cruelty to an animal.

The charge was upgraded after the Becker County Attorney's Office reviewed the final veterinary and police reports, according to the Becker County Court Administration Office.

According to court records, shortly before noon on Thursday, a Detroit Lakes police officer was called to Hesse Hamilton's house on Gary Avenue to check on the status of a dog that he had allegedly badly beaten.

The officer was met by Hesse Hamilton's sister, who was holding a black and white Bluetick Coonhound puppy named Millie. She told the officer she was afraid that Millie's leg was broken.

That morning Hesse Hamilton and several other people were at the residence playing video games. Millie got up and defecated on the floor. The sister said she heard Hesse Hamilton swear and watched him walk over and pick up Millie.

He allegedly raised her over his head and slammed her down into the feces on the floor. 

She heard the dog yelp in pain, but Hesse Hamilton allegedly continued to pick up the dog and slam her to the floor several more times.

He reportedly rubbed the dog into the feces every time he slammed her down.

After the beating, Millie was unable to get up. Hesse Hamilton grabbed the dog, dragged her outside and tied her up. T

he sister continued to hear the dog yelp in pain and went outside to try to comfort Millie by wrapping her in a blanket. Hesse Hamilton came outside, took the blanket away, put his hand on Millie's head and shoved it into the ground, saying "don't s..t on my floor."

The sister told him to leave the dog alone, and stayed with Millie, but couldn't get her to move. She took Millie inside and gave her a bath, and the puppy yelped in pain the whole time she was being bathed.

Hesse Hamilton left the home and was not there when the police officer arrived.

The officer interviewed others who were at the home, and they gave similar accounts of what happened.

The officer took the dog to the Marshmallow Foundation, which serves as the Detroit Lakes animal shelter. It was confirmed that Millie had a broken leg and needed surgery.

 

 

Hesse Hamilton's wife, Ashley, who owns the dog, said she had no money to pay for the surgery, and surrendered ownership of Millie, who was taken to the University of Minnesota for complex surgery.

The officer went back to the residence. Hesse Hamilton was there and denied hurting the dog. He was arrested and taken to jail.

On Friday, he appeared in court before District Judge Michelle Lawson, who set cash bail at $300 or bond at $3,000, with standard conditions of release, or bond at $6,000 without conditions.

Hesse Hamilton's application for a public defender was denied because of an incomplete application. Court records said there was no indication of his wife's income and the amount of worker's compensation being received.

Dr. James K. McCormack of the Detroit Lakes Animal Hospital said he examined Millie.

"We triaged and identified the lameness to right rear leg," he said. "We sedated and took X-rays and gave treatment options, and luckily for Millie she was able to go down to the University (of Minnesota) where they could plate and wire and pin these pieces back together."

He said the surgery went well, but Millie isn't out of the woods yet.

"There is a lot of muscle trauma," he said, "so time is really going to be the tell here. If we can heal this up and keep the muscles from scarring up into all this trauma site, we should have a fairly good leg coming back to stand on, but if the muscles get scarred up into the fracture site as things heal, we can get a lot of tie-down or loss of motion."

Millie is now recovering in a foster home, according to a post on the Marshmallow Foundation's Facebook page, "but she has a long road ahead of her. Unlike most 4-month-old puppies, she is unable to go outside and run and play ... During the surgery, she had a bone plate and 9 metal screws placed within her leg. Her activity is severely restricted for 4-6 weeks in order to give her leg a chance to heal. So playing and running will have to be placed on hold for now, but at least she is safe and being spoiled every single day!"

The Marshmallow Foundation has set up an online donation site at YouCaring to help offset Millie's medical costs.

Millie-Abuse Victim and now a Survivor!
For: The Marshmallow Foundation
Detroit Lakes, MN
Organizer: Samantha
Millie-Abuse Victim and now a Survivor! (The Marshmallow Foundation)
$5,115 of $5,000 goal raised by 118 donors

On 8/24/17 our staff received news that a puppy with a broken leg would be surrendered to the care of the shelter immediately following a veterinary exam to determine the extent of her injuries likely suffered at the hands of her owner.  Her name is Millie and she is 14 weeks old. She needs your help and your donations so that she can hopefully make a full recovery! We are hoping to have her scheduled for the next step in her care either tonight or tomorrow!

There are still a lot of unknowns and we will do our best to keep everyone up-to-date on the case but here is what we have:

-Millie is a 14 week old Female mixed puppy (pics coming soon) who has a broken leg that either needs to be fixed or amputated.

-She was seen on 8/24/17 by a local veterinary clinic in Detroit Lakes and had an exam and X-rays performed as well as pain medication given to help while she awaits her next step in treatment.

-The local clinic cannot perform the surgery/fix the leg and they are working to refer her to either the University of Minnesota or another comparable facility that can help with her special case. Once this is determined we will update everyone.

-There is a pending investigation and a person has been arrested and is in custody.

**We increased the fundraiser to $5000 due to follow up visits to the veterinarian, radiographs, medications, etc.

UPDATED:  Millie is on her way to the U of M in the Twin Cities to have surgery on Friday, 8/25/17.

UPDATE 8/28/17: Millie is doing well in her foster home and continues to recover from surgery. She is one spunky girl who is so brave and continues to amaze us every day! Millie underwent major surgery on 8/25/17 at the University of Minnesota to repair a right femoral fracture (broken leg).  This injury occurred because one of her owners allegedly picked her up and slammed her into the floor 4 times for house soiling.  This incident was witnessed by another person and thankfully the police were notified and Millie was taken to a veterinarian immediately.  Her alleged abuser was arrested and is charged with a crime with a court date set in early September.

Please keep Millie in your thoughts and prayers and share her story! All of us at the shelter are humbled by the people that have generously donated their time and efforts as well as money to helping Millie. Every single penny adds up and we hope that you will keep spreading the word about donating to help with Millie's medical expenses!

PREVIOUS KNOWN COURT DOCKET:

ASHLY NICOLE RUDLANG VS BRANDON SCOTT HESSE-HAMILTON
State: MN
County: MORRISON
Court, Source or Jurisdiction: MORRISON COURT
Case Number: 49-FA-09-1695
Case Type: SUPPORT
Case Status: CLOSED
Date Filed: 08/13/2009 -
Plaintiff(s) Full Name → ASHLY NICOLE RUDLANG
Defendant(s) Full Name → BRANDON SCOTT HESSE-HAMILTON

MAY 29, 2013 ARREST INFO:

Name: Hesse-Hamilton, Brandon Scott
Gender: Male
Race: White
Date of Birth: 6/14/1985
MNI: 10473
Booking #: 22632
Intake Date: 5/29/2013
Level: FELONY
Status: COURT/PENDING
Statute: 152.023.1(1)
Description: Drugs - 3rd Degree - Sale - Narcotics

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 INCARCERATION:

Name: BRANDON SCOTT HESSE HAMILTON

Alias: Brandon Hesse

DOB: 6/14/1985

OID Number: 241909

Current Status: Incarcerated

Location: Minnesota Correctional Facility - St Cloud

Admit Date: 9/12/2013

(Detroit Lakes Online - September 1, 2017)

Mississippi: Bluetick hound found with horrific injury from rope embedded in neck

MISSISSIPPI -- A dog was found in Jones County Tuesday night with a small rope embedded in its neck.

Heather Williams, Director of the Southern Cross Animal Rescue, said she got a call about the dog in distress hiding under a home.  An employee was able to go to the home and rescue the dog late Tuesday.

  

 

Williams said that is when they noticed the dog had the small, red rope tight around its neck.  The rope was so tight, it created an open wound which was infected.

"It was such a bad case of embedded rope, she was in distress, she couldn't breathe, her head and her ears were swollen," said Williams.  "It was a tiny skinny rope, never meant for a containment of an animal."

Williams said the two-year-old dog was rushed to the veterinarian Tuesday night.  On Wednesday, the dog was continuing to undergo medical treatment, something Williams said could go on for the next several weeks to months.

"With the rope, every time she pulled, it got tighter," said Williams.  "Thank god she got away somehow."

Williams said she sometimes sees situations like this when puppies are given collars and they grow out of them, but that doesn't seem to be the case with this two-year-old dog.

 

Williams said the dog could suffer long-term effects, like a damaged trachea, vocal chord problems or swallowing issues.

If you know anyone who could be responsible for this dog, or may be involved, please contact the Southern Cross Animal Rescue at (601) 433-5807.

(WDAM - April 5, 2017)

Maryland: A Halloween tale, the legend of the Blue Dog

MARYLAND -- Every February 8th, the Blue Dog returns to the spot where he and his master died. He howls and mourns for him beside the rock. This story has lived on for over 200 years….

At nearby Rose Hill, a legend has lived on for more than 200 years about buried gold and the spiritual protector of that small fortune.

The ephemeral guardian of the colonial treasure is not your typical ghost. This spirit has four legs.

That Charles County’s Blue Dog legend has been around for more than two centuries is not surprising. Purported to be the oldest ghost story in America, it’s a good one.

There seems to be some confusion as to whether the story originates from the colonial period or the time of the Civil War.

Amazing painting by Don Zimmer

Most versions focus on the 18th century, when soldier Charles Thomas Sims and a blue tick hound stepped into one of the many taverns said to inhabit the colonial town.

We know the date was Feb. 8 and most legends place the story just after the American Revolution.

Sims' tongue was loosed by the libations he consumed and he began bragging about a quantity of gold he had on his person, along with a deed to property.

Henry Hanos of Port Tobacco and his friends were listening as Sims enumerated over and over how good his fortune had been.

When the soldier started off from the tavern he got as far as Rose Hill Manor in Charles County before he was confronted by Hanos and his friends who demanded his money and the deed.

Sims was killed in the confrontation and his blue tick hound was also slain, valiantly trying to defend his master.

Legend has it that both dog and man died atop a large stone at Rose Hill.

Hanos took his stolen loot and buried it, along with the deed, under a holly tree that grew somewhere along Rose Hill Road.

When he went back later to retrieve the treasure, he was confronted by the ghost of the huge blue tick hound and scared away. Shortly after this encounter, Hanos fell ill and suddenly died.

Reports of the blue dog’s ghost began surfacing in the years that followed the soldier’s death.

During the American Civil War, General Joseph Hooker, who temporarily led the Grand Army of the Potomac until a disastrous rout at Chancellorsville got him the hook, if you will, from President Abraham Lincoln, camped some 12,000 Union troops on the western shore of Charles County.

From October 1861 through March 1862, Hooker maintained his headquarters at Chiccamuxen Methodist Church. The fascinating side note to this story is that Hooker’s camps resembled brothels and members of the world’s oldest profession followed the camps wherever they went.

The origin of the slang “hooker” for a prostitute, comes from this historical oddity.

Some of Hooker’s men heard the blue dog legend and decided they would find and dig up the buried treasure.

When they went to abscond with the money, they allegedly found themselves confronted by the luminous specter of a huge blue tick hound who aggressively challenged them to such an extent that they gave up the ghost.

Olivia Floyd, the Confederate spy who lived at Rose Hill Manor during the Civil War, confessed to the Port Tobacco Times in 1897 that she had encountered the ghost of the blue dog.

Mike Meissner, owner of Blue Dog Saloon in Port Tobacco, said he bought the property in 1991, when it had an old grocery store on one side and a bar on the other.

“I was trying to decide what to call the place and my girlfriend at the time and I went down to Virginia and when we were coming back, I was telling her the story,” Meissner said. “She was from Port Tobacco and she had never heard the legend. I said, ‘You’re from Port Tobacco and you never heard of the blue dog?’ And then it hit me. That’s the name of the bar—the Blue Dog Saloon.”

Meissner pays tribute to the legend with a framed version of the tale and a large oil painting of the blue dog guarding the stone where his master died.

The stone is still there, but Rose Hill Manor, where it is located, was recently purchased by new owners and is now closed to the public.

To this day, the Blue Dog reportedly continues to watch over his slain master's treasure.

(The BayNet - Oct 12, 2016)

Arrest made after dogs abandoned at Colonial Heights animal shelter

VIRGINIA -- An arrest has been made after three dogs were abandoned at the Colonial Heights animal shelter last week.

Christopher Ryan Lucy was arrested on Wednesday and faces three felony counts of cruelty to animals, one misdemeanor count of trespassing and three counts of failing to provide food, water and shelter.

The shelter told 8News that someone pulled up in a pick-up truck on Wednesday and threw the dogs over the shelter’s fence.

 

 

 

 

Even though the shelter did not mention a time of the incident, a picture posted on the shelter’s Facebook page showed that it was dark at the time the animals were left behind.

(WRIC - Dec 3, 2015)

Alton John Manley, owner of 3 dogs found muzzled with duct tape, charged with animal cruelty

SOUTH CAROLINA -- Three dogs that were left with their owner Tuesday after they were found chained to a wall with their muzzles taped shut were surrendered by the owner Thursday and delivered to an animal shelter in Aiken.

Online records show the dogs' owner, Alton John Manley, was charged with animal cruelty on Friday.

The dogs were discovered on the back porch of a home at in rural McCormick County Tuesday morning. Deputies removed the tape and made sure they weren't severely injured Tuesday night but they didn't take the dogs because they couldn't find a shelter with room to take them.

The Humane Society of the United States on Wednesday helped find them a place at the SCPA Albrecht Center, a no-kill center in Aiken that agreed to make room for the dogs. But first officials needed the owner to sign over control of the dogs, which he did Thursday.

The owner told WJBF in Augusta that he wanted to make it clear that he never abused the dogs.

The dogs were found Tuesday morning on the back porch of a home at Plum Branch Yacht Club, an old fishing village located in the western part of the state near the Georgia line. A frequent visitor who said she was walking by to check out a nearby fish hatchery said she was spooked by a strange sound.

“I heard this very strange, muffled, growl-bark,” said the woman, who asked not to be identified. “I jumped and I screamed.”

She took a closer look at the back porch and saw three dogs -- a German shepherd and two blue tick hounds -- with their muzzles taped shut -- one can be see with even its eyes taped shut. They were chained to the wall, surrounded by feces. There was no food or water, she said.

“What made it even worse is I saw their eyes were duct taped shut,” she said.

She took a picture of the dogs and contacted the McCormick County Sheriff's Office.

Two deputies responded to the home and talked to the owner. Sheriff's officials did not return multiple calls from ABC News 4 Tuesday but Jan Burttram, vice president of the Humane Society of McCormick County, said she talked to one of the deputies who was trying to find a place to house the dogs.

The deputy told Burttram that the owner, who said he muzzled the dogs because neighbors complained about their barking, agreed to sign the dogs over but deputies needed a place for them. Burttram said their shelter, built about a year ago, couldn't take the dogs because it only holds 12 dogs. McCormick County has about 10,000 residents.

"We’re so small and we’ve got 10 dogs on a waiting list to get in," she said. "But we’ve been working to find a place to take them."

Burttram said their shelter is run entirely by volunteers and funded through donations without any public funds. "We're very resourceful," she said.

She gave the deputy numbers for shelters in neighboring Greenwood and Abbeville counties but shelters in those counties are faced with the same problem -- limited space.

Burttram told WJBF Thursday that she's relieved the dogs are in a good place now.

"It is such a sense of relief to know that these animals are safe now and that they're going someplace where they will have an opportunity to get a good home," she said.

Barbara Nelson, CEO of the Albrecht Center in Aiken, said they weren't contacted Tuesday but agreed to take the dogs when approached by the Humane Society on Wednesday. She said their no-kill shelter is less than three years old and is one of the finest in the nation.

"The dogs live in rooms with views to the outside and the cats live in colonies," she said.

The dogs will be evaluated for their mental and physical health. At first glance the dogs seemed to be in good health, just a little frightened, officials said Thursday.

Nelson said the dogs will also undergo the shelter's Fido University program, which helps teach self-calming techniques and helps them relate to human beings. Anyone who wants to make a donation to the Albrecht Center may do so on their website.

The Charleston County Animal Society recently handled a similar case when a dog later named Caitlyn was severely injured after someone taped her muzzle shut. Caitlyn's story went worldwide almost immediately.

Charleston County Animal Society CEO Joe Elmore said they have been in contact with the Humane Society in case their services are needed.

"We're ready to help in any way that we can," Elmore said.

The woman who took the picture of the three dogs Tuesday said she hopes help comes soon.

"I wish I could unsee the picture but I can't," she said. "It was just horrifying to me."

(ABC4 - Aug 4, 2015)

Deputies find more dead dogs in rural Cass County

INDIANA -- Authorities in Cass County are investigating additional reports of animal cruelty after more dead dogs are found in a rural county road ditch on Tuesday. This follows a similar incident from early April that involved 13 dead dogs.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office, along with Cass County Animal Control, are investigating two additional reports of illegal dumping close to the vicinity of the early April incident involving 13 bluetick coonhounds found dead.

On Tuesday, authorities responded to Cass County Road 1100 East, behind Grissom Air Force Base’s Aero Plex facility, and found five dead dogs and one cat in a drainage ditch just off the roadway.

Another report regarding dead animals came into Cass County Wednesday along the same road.
Sheriff’s deputies found seven more dead dogs on CR 1100 East, just a short distance from Tuesday’s location.

Deputies said all the deceased dogs have been identified as bluetick hounds, the same breed involved in the early April incident.

Investigators believe the cause of death in the early April case were the dogs were shot. The cause of death for the two new incidents have not yet been determined.

This brings the total to 25 dead dogs found in Cass County — 12 puppies, 12 adult females and one adult male.

The investigation remains ongoing. If you have any information that could help, please call Cass County Sheriff’s Office at 574-722-6060.

(WLFI - April 15, 2015)

Colorado Humane Society Nursing Starved Dog Back To Health

COLORADO -- The La Plata Humane Society is looking for information on what it's calling one of the worst cases of animal starvation the shelter veterinarian has ever seen.

"The La Plata County Humane Society (LPCHS) has seen many cases of starving dogs, cats and horses, but recently a stray dog was dropped off and she shocked everyone that saw her," the humane society said in a statement.

 

 A humane society spokesperson says "Faith" came in on September 20 as a stray weighing just 23 pounds--half of what the LPCHS veterinarian says a coonhound her size and age should weigh. The humane society estimates Faith is at least 2 years old.

She's slowly being nurtured back to health: since she's been at the LPCHS, she's already gained 6.5 pounds. The humane society says she is "surprisingly healthy" considering her condition when she arrived.

"Faith is a very lucky dog to be at the humane society," Director of Animal Protection Jon Patla said.

At this time, it's unknown where Faith was prior to being dropped off at the shelter. The person who found Faith spotted her off of Cherry Creek, which is west of the town of Hesperus. Before that, it's not known if Faith was abused, if she was dumped, or if she went missing from her home and starved while on her own.

LCPHS is looking for Faith's owner or anyone with information. To help with identifying information: the shelter says her right eye has a Collie Eye Anomaly, which is a congenital disease.

The humane society is also looking for donations to keep up with Faith's care. Please call (970) 259-2847 or visit www.lpchumansociery.org if you have info or would like to help.

Once Faith is brought up to a healthy weight and is deemed healthy enough for adoption, the shelter will begin looking for a loving forever home.

(KKTV 11 News-Sep 26, 2014)

Sheriff's Office keeps telling woman starving animals will be checked on. Finds out they lied...

LOUISIANA -- On Tuesday, the Tangi Humane Society issued a statement about the rescue of several, severely neglected animals from property in Amite, La..

On Monday, six dogs, an emaciated horse and one chicken were rescued from horrible conditions. The majority of the dogs were sick and emaciated; one dog was found to be suffering from a prolapsed uterus.

 

The rescued horse had been relying on a muddy puddle for water and like the dogs, she was skeletal; the one chicken was discovered in a cage with several other chickens who were dead.

The dogs had been contained in wire pens with mud floors and buckets of algae-laden water.

According to the humane society, the owners are facing eight counts of suspected animal cruelty.

According to Michelle Shaw, who helped bring this situation to the attention of the local authorities, the deplorable conditions had been going on for some time.

The good Samaritan alerted the local authorities to the conditions in December and she was assured that the welfare of the animals had been checked on.

“The first call I made was back at the end of Dec 2013, regarding a dog that was tied to a tree with a prolapsed uterus. The deputy, Michael Martin, had returned my call and assured all was well and that the dog was under veterinary care. I took his word for it and thought no more of it.”

A neighbor was able to take photos after the welfare check was asked for and it was easily apparent that the animals were still living in unacceptable conditions.

“She sent me many photos. The conditions these animals, horses & dogs, were kept in was absolutely unacceptable. And guess what else??? THE DOG WITH THE PROLAPSED UTERUS WAS STILL UNTREATED.”

Shaw contacted the authorities again - she was assured that the conditions would be investigated.

According to Shaw, she was advised that the humane society would be there by Monday, but she learned later that it never happened:

"By noon, no one had shown up. So the humane society was called directly. Randy Segell stated that nobody from the sheriff department had contacted him. He was very concerned and went out to the property immediately.”

It was not until the humane society became involved that the animals were rescued - thanks to Shaw's efforts, the animals were removed from the miserable conditions.

(Examiner.com - February 25, 2014)

Man charged with animal cruelty for starving his coonhounds

NEW YORK -- An Ontario County man is facing animal cruelty charges after two emaciated dogs were found.

According to the Ontario County Humane Society, Teddy R. Read, 45, of Gorham was charged Saturday with cruelty to animals and failure to provide proper food and drink to an impounded animal.

The Humane Society and the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office were involved in an animal cruelty investigation that began about Dec. 21 after Read’s blue tick coonhounds, a 6-year-old female named Molly, and a 3-year-old male named Gunner, were found to emaciated and malnourished at 4886 Arnold Road. They also had no food or water in the kennels they were being kept in, the Humane Society said.

On Saturday, Read was located by the Sheriff’s Office after a warrant for his arrest was obtained from Gorham Town Court. He was issued an appearance ticket to answer the charges at a later date.

A relative of Read’s agreed to foster the dogs after they received veterinary care. Both dogs continue to recover.

(Democrat and Chronicle - Feb 15, 2014)

North Carolina: Christopher Little arrested after dogs found living on rainwater, moldy food

NORTH CAROLINA -- A Rowan County man is facing charges of cruelty to animals after a deputy and an animal control officer found that two of his dogs appeared to be starving.

Deputies were called to check out a report of a malnourished dog that belonged to Christopher Lee Little. 

When deputies arrived at a home on Brookwood Drive they noticed a blue tick hound that appeared to be underweight and that could barely move, according to the report filed by Deputy Matt Butler.

After first denying that he owned the dog, Little then said that the dog was his.  The deputy also found another dog, this one a brown and white walker, that also appeared to be malnourished.  That dog was in a pen behind the house.  The deputy noted that in the pen was a bowl of what appeared to be rainwater and a bowl of dog food covered in mold.

The deputy noted that the dog appeared to be in pain when it attempted to bark and that the dog could "barely walk."

The dogs were taken by Rowan County Animal Control.  Little was charged with two counts of cruelty to animals and jailed under $2500 bond.

(WBTV - July 19, 2013)

Maine: Ex Animal Control officer and current prison guard Randall Carl, 46, found guilty of animal cruelty after the torture death of a tied-up bobcat he allowed his dogs to tear to pieces

MAINE -- It didn’t take long Monday afternoon for a Waldo County jury to decide the fate of a Master Maine Guide and Maine State Prison guard who was accused of aggravated animal cruelty against a bobcat.

Less than an hour after the conclusion of the daylong trial, the jury in Waldo County Superior Court returned with a verdict against 46-year-old Randall Carl of Knox: guilty.

Randall Carl

Waldo County Deputy District Attorney Eric Walker said after the sentencing that the February 2009 incident, during which Carl and three other men had used the illegally trapped bobcat in a failed effort to train their bluetick coonhounds, can’t be justified in any way.

Carl tethered the caged bobcat to a pole with a rope wrapped around its neck. He let the bobcat out of the cage, shown in a home video that was taken of the 'training experiment', and stood there, allowing hunting dogs to attack and kill it.

“I think most people who are hunters, like myself, would be most offended by the conduct of these guys,” Walker said. “It gives us all a bad name.”

Carl’s defense attorney Walter McKee of Augusta characterized the event very differently, describing it as an unfortunate incident. After the sentencing, he said that he was surprised and disappointed with the verdict.

“The evidence from all the witnesses said this was an accident,” McKee said.

Juror Mary Brann said after the trial that she’s not against trapping or hunting, but what she saw in the video was “brutal.”

“It was illegal activity, and it was cruelty to animals,” she said. “As a Maine Guide, as the highest level of Maine Guide — really, that was not good behavior.”

The jurors also found that Carl, who in the past has worked as an animal control officer in the western Maine town of Vienna, was guilty of a closed-season trapping violation.

Justice Robert Murray sentenced Carl after the verdict was returned. Carl, who his attorney said will lose his job with the Department of Corrections because he is now a convicted felon, was sentenced to 15 months in prison with all but 10 days suspended.

Additionally, he will pay $1,325 in fines and fees and spend two years on probation, during which time he will be prohibited from using or possessing hunting dogs or hunting or trapping equipment.

He also will be barred from hunting, trapping or guiding activities during this time.

Carl was not the first person to be sentenced on charges stemming from the incident.

Last October, his friend and fellow prison guard Corey Robinson, 30, of Montville also was found guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals and a closed-season trapping violation by a different Waldo County jury. Robinson received the same sentence but is appealing the verdict, according to Walker.

On Monday, jurors twice watched the video of the bobcat being killed by the dogs. The incident had been taped by Vernon Travis Smith of Burnham, who told the court that he hadn’t hidden his camera from the other men present.

Smith had pleaded guilty to a closed-season trapping charge and paid a fine on that matter.

The video depicted the tethered bobcat being attacked, trying to fight back but being mauled to death by a pack of four howling, barking bluetick coonhounds within minutes of being let out of a cage.

Originally, Carl told the court that the men had tried to drag the caged bobcat over the snow in an effort to train the dogs to follow the scent, but that didn’t work. Then the men decided to hoist the caged bobcat up a tree, and they kept it there for between three and five minutes, he said.

Noisy, intense video taken of this showed the pack of coonhounds jumping at the hissing bobcat, dangling in the cage. The men egged on their dogs by shouting words of encouragement: “Get him, Utah!” “Get him, Smoke!”

Then they lowered the animal and Carl attached a “catchpole” he had made to control the bobcat.

“I was going to release the animal off the pole,” he told the court.

But the rope affixed to the pole and looped around the bobcat’s neck started to inadvertently choke it, he said.

“As I pulled the animal out, the dogs were there and attacked it,” Carl said. “It wouldn’t have been no training exercise at that point.”

[Having worked as an animal control officer, Randall Carl knew quite well how a catchpole worked. This was no accident. What moron decided to pull the bobcat out of the cage while the dogs were loose? These idiots stumbled over their pathetic lies. Thank God Maine has some common sense people still appearing on juries.]

The training goal was to teach the dogs to follow a scent trail that was laid on the ground, he said.

McKee pointed out that the dogs were all wearing tracking collars and the men wouldn’t have bothered with that if they had intended for the dogs to kill the bobcat right away.

“I didn’t think we were going to dispatch the animal,” Carl said.

He said that he was paying more attention to try to keep the bobcat from strangling and less attention to the dogs, which he had figured were being restrained with leashes. Two of the four dogs belonged to him.

During his cross-examination, Walker asked the defendant if the outcome of the incident was “completely foreseeable.”

“Not by me,” Carl responded.

In his closing arguments, McKee repeated some of the themes of his defense: namely, that it is impossible to apply the law of man to the law of the wild.

“This was a training situation that went awry,” he said. “It certainly wasn’t morally debased. Animals get shot. Get shot with guns, or with arrows. You can do things to animals you would never do to humans … the rest of the story in this case is that this was an accident. Every witness said the same thing: ‘We didn’t expect it to happen this way.’”

But Walker, in his closing arguments, vehemently disagreed.

“An accident is something that’s unseen or unavoidable,” he said. “This was not an accident. It is not hunting. It is not trapping. This bobcat suffered. This conduct was uncalled for. It was illegal.”

(Bangor Daily News - April 23, 2012)