Comfort Dog’s Death Leads to Animal Cruelty Charge
BANGOR,Maine – The man responsible for the Maine comfort dog who died in a hot car earlier this year has been charged with animal cruelty. Brodie Hinckley, formerly the Emergency Communications Director, received a summons for a civil violation related to the death of Baxter, a 3-year-old chocolate Labrador.
The Penobscot county District Attorney’s Office announced the charge Friday, over three months after Baxter was discovered deceased inside a state vehicle at the Bangor Regional Communications Center in late May. An investigation conducted by the state’s Animal Welfare Programme focused on the circumstances surrounding Baxter being left unattended in Hinckley’s car.
District Attorney Christopher almy explained that the investigation revealed Baxter was left in the vehicle for over four hours. While Hinckley initially stated the air conditioning was running, the car’s battery failed, causing the system to shut down. The temperature in Bangor that day reached 83 degrees, capable of raising a car’s interior temperature to approximately 125 degrees within an hour, according to the National Weather Service.
Almy acknowledged the arduous decision-making process, balancing the tragic nature of the incident with the duty of pet ownership. ”It’s crucial that dogs left in cars be attended to,” he stated, adding that the office considered Hinckley’s remorse. Ultimately, they steadfast a civil violation of animal cruelty was the appropriate course of action.
Following Baxter’s death, Hinckley was placed on paid administrative leave by the Department of Public Safety.
The Department issued a statement acknowledging the widespread impact of the tragedy, particularly on staff who worked with Baxter. They also requested the public refrain from contacting dispatch centers regarding the incident, emphasizing the need to keep lines open for emergency calls adn maintain the focus of telecommunicators on community safety.
hinckley is scheduled to appear in court in November.