Maine officials accused of covering up how adorable chocolate Labrador comfort dog was left to die in hot car
Baxter, a three-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, died on the afternoon of May 28 after he was found locked inside a Maine Department of Public Safety car.
The vehicle was not running and had been parked at the Bangor Regional Communications Center. The temperature in Bangor that day reached a high of 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
An independent investigation into Baxter's death started on June 18 and was opened by the Animal Welfare Program of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
No conclusion has been reached more than a month later, though the investigation remains active. Daily Mail has approached the department for comment.
Baxter was a comfort dog with the Department of Public Safety and frequently helped relieve the stress felt by regional emergency dispatchers.
He was also prominently featured on the department's social media pages, leading to the entire state growing extremely fond of him.
That's why there's been sustained outrage over his death months after it happened, with Mainers still demanding answers and accountability.
He started working as a comfort dog for emergency responders in Maine back in 2022 after he was trained by a nonprofit organization
Nearly 7,000 people have signed a Change.org petition calling for a 'full, transparent investigation into Baxter's death.'
'We want to know what went wrong, who was responsible, and what's being done to make sure it never happens again. Baxter deserved better, and so do the service animals still working across the state,' the petition read.
A separate petition, bearing the names of just over 300 people, has asked the US government to step in a protect all service animals under federal law.
It advocates for a change in the law so that if a service animal dies, the person responsible can face 'manslaughter or negligent homicide' charges.
The car Baxter was left in stopped running at some point, causing the air conditioning to shut off, spokesperson Shannon Moss has previously said.
She added that it wasn't clear why the vehicle shut off.
Baxter's handler was Brodie Hinckley, director of the Maine Department of Public Safety Communications, Moss also said previously.
She would not confirm if Hinckley was the one who left Baxter in the car the day he died.
It also remains unclear if there is or will be a criminal investigation into the dog's death.
Daily Mail has approached Moss for further comment.
Baxter trained with Hero Pups before beginning his career as the state's first official comfort dog in 2022.
Laura Barker, founder of Hero Pups, a nonprofit that provides support dogs to first responders, described Baxter as being 'a great dog with a love for life.'
'During the training process we go through a lot of the obedience, the dogmanship stuff, the handling, the transportation,' she told WABI5. 'We can make recommendations, but once the dog leaves us we don't have any say on that matter anymore.'
'I'm hoping this will get people talking and really be more committed to the care of the dogs on a broader scope, not just doing a job,' she added.
She set up the organization to support veterans and first responders after her son was wounded in Afghanistan.
Baxter, who came from a litter that needed constant care due to his mother's health issues, was the first comfort dog the organization sent to Maine.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
8 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Police officer killed in firefight with CDC gunman was dad of two with a third on the way
A police officer slain by a gunman targeting the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta Friday was expecting his third child. David Rose, 33, leaves behind two children and a pregnant wife and had only joined the Dekalb County Police Department in September. Rose succumbed to his injuries in hospital after being shot during a firefight with the gunman, who was firing wildly at CDC buildings near Emory University. Heavy police response: Officers set up a blockade of a road near the CDC, where several buildings took fire 'This evening, there is a wife without a husband. There are three children, one unborn, without a father,' DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said during a press conference. 'There is a mother and a father, as well as siblings who also share in this traumatic loss. Let's join together to give this family the support it needs.' The officer was suffering from critical injuries when he was located at the scene as gunfire erupted from the CVS located at Emory Point, a mixed-used development across the street from the CDC headquarters. The shooter was located on the floor above the CVS and died during a firefight with police. It wasn't immediately clear if his injuries were from officers or if they were self-inflicted. He was identified Saturday by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White from Kennesaw, Georgia. 'There is extensive evidence to collect due to the complex scene,' a statement from the bureau noted. 'Numerous interviews are being conducted. This investigation will take an extended period of time.' CNN reported that the shooter's family members spoke to law enforcement and told them that he blamed his recent illness on the Covid-19 vaccine, which was pushed by the CDC. CDC Director Susan Monarez, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp recognized Rose's death as a brave sacrifice. In a statement, Dekalb County said that Rose was a former Marine who served in Afghanistan. Police said he graduated from the police academy in March and 'quickly earned the respect of his colleagues for his dedication, courage and professionalism.' 'This evening, there is a wife without a husband. There are three children, one unborn, without a father,' DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said. The shooter is believed to have been targeting the CDC, not nearby Emory University. Emory University students began hearing gunshots late Friday afternoon. Eventually, the university sent out a desperate alert at around 4:50pm pleading with students to 'RUN. HIDE. FIGHT.' A little over two hours after the alert was sent out, Atlanta Police confirmed the shooter was dead. 'There is no ongoing threat to the Emory Campus or the surrounding neighborhood. The incident involved a single shooter, who is now deceased,' Atlanta Police said in a statement. No civilians were shot throughout the course of the attack, said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. The shooting ended at the CVS, but bullets from the shooter's gun hit at least four buildings that are part of the CDC's headquarters. A photo shared to social media showed at least two bullet holes in two separate windows. A CDC employee told CNN that he saw a man approach the steps in front of the building, pull out a rifle and open fire. Law enforcement officials said the shooter had four different weapons — two hand guns, one rifle and one shotgun — and was wearing what looked to be a surgical mask. The CDC ultimately wasn't breached. At around 10pm ET, the CDC gave its employees the all-clear order via text message. 'Local law enforcement continues to clear Roybal Campus buildings but has determined that there is no longer a threat to CDC staff,' the text message read. Roughly 92 children were at the employee daycare at the CDC campus, which had parents panicking since they weren't allowed to immediately go pick them up because of shelter-in-place orders. When the all-clear order was given roughly five hours after the shooting began, that's when the children were finally reunited with their parents.
The Sun
11 minutes ago
- The Sun
My mum was abused by her dad, then he did the same to me – I taped his confession but it was too late to save her
AS TARA Proffitt waited in her grandfather's living room, with her phone switched to record, she knew this was her final chance of justice, for her mother and for herself. Alison Connolly, was a victim of sexual abuse as a child by her father, Mark. He had also abused her daughter, Tara. 7 But it was only after Alison was tragically murdered that Tara set out to get justice for her from beyond the grave, by confronting their abuser and taping his confession. Mark Connolly was later jailed for 19 years and died in prison. Mum of two, Tara, 38, says: 'The child abuse was the catalyst for everything which went wrong in Mum's life. She was vulnerable and lacking in confidence. 'She could never stand up to her father, but she did her best for all her children; she loved us all so much and she gave us strength and resilience. 'It was that same strength which helped me confront my grandfather, before Mum's wake. I took his confession to the police, and he was arrested as a result. 'I feel proud that I got justice for Mum but we miss her so much every day.' Mum of eight Alison was brutally attacked by two sisters Charice and Amberstasia Gassmann, then 19 and 23, in May 2015. The pair were slammed for laughing in court before being convicted of murder and manslaughter respectively. Charice was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 19 years. Amberstasia was sentenced to 12 years in jail. Alison's family, including her daughter Tara, say they have never recovered from their mother's death, and she is speaking out on the 10th anniversary to highlight the devastating impact of violent crime. Cops found me being raped by illegal immigrant at 14 but put me in handcuffs, they let grooming gangs abuse me for years Tara says: 'It took a few seconds for Mum's killers to rip our lives apart, but the pain will live with us always.' Tara, originally from Swindon, was aware her mother had been abused from an early age. Tara says: 'Mum told me her dad sexually abused her throughout her childhood. She couldn't ever confront him; it was just brushed under the carpet. 'She suffered with mental health issues, low self-esteem and depression, as a result. 'Growing up, I felt like I was the one looking after her. She adored us but she was vulnerable.' Tragically, Tara was also sexually abused by her grandfather, including him forcing her to watch pornography and sexually assaulting her. She says: 'I didn't dare report him; I'd been brought up not to confide in people. And I was worried we might be taken away by social services. 'I loved my Mum, and she loved us, despite her problems. 7 7 7 'She was very protective of us too. She didn't want me to suffer as she had, and it broke her heart that her own father was a monster.' Aged 16, Tara left home but remained close to her mother. Tara says: 'My family was targeted by two sisters, Charice and Amberstasia Gassman, who were local bullies. 'They called my younger sister names and spat at her. Mum always stood up for us and she told them to leave her family alone. 'They threatened her with a screwdriver, and Mum told the police. But there had been no physical violence, so there wasn't much they could do. 'We thought they were a nuisance, nothing more.' But in May 2015, the Gassmans covered a moped, belonging to Tara's sister's boyfriend, in brown sauce and threw it against her door. Tara says: 'My sister was terrified, and Mum confronted one of the sisters in the shop and got into a scuffle. 'Mum must have been scared because she wet herself, but she fought back.' On her way home, in broad daylight and outside a block of flats, both sisters ambushed Alison, and she was stabbed to death by Charice. Tara says: 'We were shell-shocked. We couldn't believe she was gone, and so brutally and needlessly. It was devastating.' As the family planned her funeral, Tara decided to confront her grandfather about the abuse. She says: 'Mum's life started to unravel when the abuse began. 'She would not have been vulnerable, she would not have been murdered, had the abuse not happened. It was a chain reaction from that moment. 'I waited for him in his living room until he came home. I didn't feel any fear; I just wanted justice. 'I felt like it was the final thing I could do for Mum. I thought he might deny it, but he admitted it all. I got the feeling he was ready to confess, and I had it all on a recording.' Tara went to the police, and Mark Connolly, known also as Martin, was arrested. In December 2015, Charise and Amberstasia Gassman appeared before Bristol Crown Court. The court heard the sisters were violent and Charise had previously admitted that she felt she could kill someone. The pair were slammed after giggling in court and mocking their victim. Charice was jailed for 19 years for Alison's murder, and Amberstasia was jailed for 12 years for manslaughter. Tara says: 'The sentences brought us no comfort. As a family, we were shattered.' In January 2017, Martin Connolly, 77, aka Mark Connolly, appeared before Swindon Crown Court and admitted sexually abusing and raping five children over a forty-year period. He was jailed for 19 years and died in prison in 2022. Tara says: 'I was glad he went to jail because it meant that other children were safe from him. He ruined my mums' life, and he tried to ruin mine, but I didn't let him. 'I felt mum was with me, giving me strength throughout the case. I hope she'd be proud that he faced justice at last. "The chain of abuse is broken at last, and future generations can live in peace.' Ten years on, Tara is speaking out about the impact of violent crime. She says: 'We miss her more and more every day. "We've had her ashes for ten years as we haven't been able to let go, we've been holding onto the memories. 'I forgive her killers, because I don't want to carry that anger with me. But I want them to know that our hearts are broken.' 7
The Sun
11 minutes ago
- The Sun
Horror as body of woman found chained ‘by the neck' and dumped underwater tied down with two dumbbells
A WOMAN'S body has been found chained by the neck and tied underwater with two concrete dumbbells at a popular fishing pier in Thailand. The horror discovery was made after stunned locals spotted the corpse floating close to shore. 1 The body was found on Friday near Ban Tha Yai pier in Phang Nga's Mueang district. Police Lieutenant Pheerawit Chaichanyut of Khok Kloi Police Station said officers rushed to the scene with Kusoltham Foundation rescue workers after receiving an emergency call. The victim – whose identity, address, and nationality are still unknown – was wearing grey shorts and a brown round-neck T-shirt. Police believe she had been dead for around two days before being found in the murky waters. A heavy chain had been wrapped tightly around her neck and secured to two concrete dumbbells in what investigators believe was a calculated attempt to keep the body hidden on the seabed. But despite the grim effort, currents carried her to the surface and she drifted close to land. "This is a serious case, and we are treating it as a possible murder," Pol. Lt. Pheerawit said. "The way the body was weighted down points towards an attempt to conceal it." The body has been sent for a full autopsy to determine the cause of death and whether the woman was alive before entering the water. Local leaders and neighbouring districts have been told to check missing persons reports for anyone matching her description. Cops will meanwhile scour CCTV from the pier and surrounding waterways for suspicious movements in the days before the grim find. Anyone with information – particularly those who may have noticed unusual activity near Ban Tha Yai pier – is urged to contact police immediately. The case echoes a similar discovery in February when a fisherman in Rayong found a woman's decomposed body inside a locked suitcase weighted with two 10kg dumbbells. Her identity also remains unknown. .
