By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — The main reason that Donna Norton brought the dog-at-large complaint to town officials is that she was afraid the incident might be repeated during Casco Days at the end of this month.

In addition to being loose without an owner anywhere in sight, the dog has acted aggressively toward other dogs, Norton said.

Already, in late May, the mixed breed dog that has been loose in the Casco Village bit her son’s dog that was on a leash and with its people, including a child in a stroller, she said. 

Then, on July 1, that same pit bull mix allegedly attacked a neighbor’s black Labrador, Norton said.

This was after she brought the first incident, which happened on May 20, to the town’s attention during a Casco Board of Selectmen in early June. 

According to Casco Town Manager Anthony Ward, the July 1 incident is “still an active case and is under investigation.”

Casco Animal Control Officer (ACO) Jessica Jackson is required to “investigate the complaint, determine if a Maine law or town ordinance was violated and then determine if enforcement action is necessary,” Ward said. 

State law prohibitscanines from running loose, he said. 

“A dog at large is a violation of Maine law,” he said.  

But there is no state or local law mandating owners to have a fence to keep dog in yard.

According to Norton, the owners of the pit bull had an electric fence, which now needs to be fixed. However, the owners frequently leave the front door of the home open, allowing the dog freedom to roam beyond its yard, she said. 

“We are trying to stay as far away as we can from this dog.” Norton said this week.

“I was out on Friday night. I saw the dog cross the street again and run after a couple with no dog. The man stated that he just turned around and the dog went back home. That was the first time I saw him [the dog] go after people without pets,” she said. 

She phoned Regional Dispatch and requested that ACO Jackson return her call. 

“I told her that she needed to come out because the dog is at-large again. She did come out and spoke to the owners. She came back and talked to me. She said, ‘The dog is very pleasant. The dog is only trying to play with your dog,’” Norton said.

“This dog is not playing with my dog. He was on top of my dog. The other people said he went for their dog’s throats,” she said.  “The white mark on my dog’s nose will be a scar. My dog didn’t get a scar from playing. She met the dog once, and she thinks that the dog is just trying to play,” Norton said. 

She describedthe May 20 incident in which the loose pit bull mix came running toward her, growling and snarling. It took two people to separate the dogs. 

“There is just no way it wasn’t an aggressivedog,” she said. 

ACO Jackson said the loose canine that had the run-in with the black lab on July 1 is not being quarantined. 

“There is no quarantine because there was no injury supporting that. There wasn’t a bite wound or scratch or anything. No one is being charged with anything,” she said.

However, the animal’s owners have agreed to fix the electric fence and keep the dog tethered in the yard until the fence has been repaired, she said.  It is better to allow the owners to apply money toward fixing the situation than toward court fees for a dog at large, she said. Additionally, the canine is up to date on its vaccinations, she said.

“I am not concerned that there is any imminent danger to people or other dogs at this time,” Jackson said.