Animal Control Officer
For questions or concerns involving animal issues contact Animal Control Officer Maggie Maxwell (207) 799-5511 x 7253 or mmaxwell@southportland.org. If immediate assistance is required (including after hours and on weekends), please call non-emergent dispatch at (207) 874-8575 x 0.
Some of the duties of the Animal Control Officer (ACO) include:
- Assist citizens with lost, sick, found, or injured animals.
- Enforce ordinances against dogs running at large (see Chapter 3)
- Require that dogs living in the city are licensed according to state laws.
- Issue warnings or summonses pertaining to animal control and welfare.
- Maintain records of summonses, warnings, animal bites, and dogs and cats taken to the department's contracted animal shelter.
- Prepare cases for court presentation by obtaining statements.
The Animal Control Officer protects and handles all types of animals from pets to animals that live out in the wild. The Animal Control Officer has a limited role when handling wild animals. The main concern with wild animals is rabies protection.
This following list is just a few of the laws for the protection of animals and persons:
- Dogs are not to run at large
- Dogs and cats must be rabies vaccinated
- Dogs licensed
- Dogs' license tags must be on collar
- Complaints regarding dangerous dog
- Penalty for damage to livestock or pets by dogs
- Cruelty to birds
- Animal fighting for money-sport