A dog shot by Searsport police during an arrest of its owner Monday has been euthanized because the man wouldn’t pay for the needed surgery, police said.
Searsport Police Chief Brian Lunt and officer Chris Therrien pulled over the Stockton Springs man, Rodney Damon, on Porter Street in Searsport after noticing he didn’t have license plates on his car, Lunt said.
Once Damon stopped, the dog, a female pitbull, exited the vehicle and charged at both officers, Lunt said. Damon didn’t make an attempt to get his dog to return to him, Lunt said. The dog was not wearing a collar and had no identification on their being.
“I told him to call his dog back. He didn’t,” Lunt said. “She was coming straight at me. I’m not getting chewed up by a pit bull. I had no choice but to shoot her.”
After Lunt shot the dog in the shoulder, it retreated and police arrested Damon, he said. Damon was charged with failing to stop and operating an unregistered vehicle. Police later found his vehicle had been registered but didn’t display the registration.
Lunt brought the dog to Searsport Veterinary Hospital, which discovered its arm was broken and required surgery. Damon didn’t want to pay for the surgery, so the vet had to euthanize the dog, Lunt said.