BUXTON – Two Buxton owners have been summonsed in connection with separate animal cruelty cases recently investigated by Buxton Officer Adam Ricci.
Buxton police on Tuesday declined to release names of those who received summonses. Ricci said each animal owner was issued a summons for animal cruelty, a Class D misdemeanor.
Ricci said on Tuesday the department is trying to raise awareness of animal cruelty but not trying to vilify owners. Ricci said a court date has been set for December.
Buxton Police Chief Michael Grovo said in a report last week that 21 animals were removed from a Cemetery Road residence stemming from an animal cruelty investigation involving a dog that was not provided needed medical attention. Ricci said the seizure included nine rabbits, three cats, six dogs, a bird, a reptile and a chicken.
The Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland in Westbrook assisted police in removing the animals for evaluation by a veterinarian. An injured dog, a Pomeranian weighing about 6 pounds, required a leg amputation, and Ricci said the dog is recovering after surgery.
Ricci said a couple of the cats have already been adopted from the shelter. The chicken is now roosting at a local farm, according to Ricci.
In a separate case, according to Grovo’s report, Buxton police on Sept. 10 seized a horse following an investigation of a “malnourished, emaciated horse” on Chicopee Road. The horse was removed with assistance of the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals.
Michelle Jackson, a staff member at the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland in Westbrook, on Tuesday cuddles Hank, one of nine rabbits Buxton police seized last week in an animal cruelty case.Send questions/comments to the editors.
