Dogs shot Kennebunk, ME (US) Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 12, 1999 County: York Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Robert Drew

Case ID: 3172 Classification: Shooting Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in ME (US) Animal was offleash or loose Login to Watch this Case

Robert Drew, 49, faces charge of cruelty to animals and police are conducting ballistics test to see if Drew also is responsible for the Sept 14 shooting of a golden retriever, whose owner saved the bullet.

Court records show Drew has told investigators he has shot six to 10 dogs in the last two years, some of which are buried on his property.

The investigation, and subequent confiscation of Drew's rifles, have brought a sense of relief to residents of this rural neighborhood in West Kennebunk.

Drew hates dogs running through his yard. He's afraid he'll be attacked because he's in a wheelchair so he shoots them.

Drew's neighbors have long suspected that the sporadic gunfire from his house was responsible for missing or wounded pets.

It wasn't until Jan 12, when Drew shot Beverly Buxton's 11-month old Alaskan Malamute was found in Drew's front yard, bleeding from a bullet wound that they thought it could be proven Drew had shot the dog.

Town law prohibits dog owners from allowing their pets to roam free. Drew says it's their fault if he is forced to shoot a dog for straying onto his two-acre property.

Drew, whose legs were paralyzed in a 1990 car accident says, "If people were responsible enough with their pets we wouldn't be in this place to begin with."

Neighbors believe Drew goes out of his way to target pets. The dogs are rarely a threat to Drew because he spends most of this time indoors.

The court record is filled with letters from neighbors complaing that Drew shot or maimed their dogs.

Police said there was little they could do because no one had proof that Drew was shooting the dogs.

The dog that was shot by Drew will surive due to quick action of Drew's neighbor that rushed the dog to the vet.

Drew believes he is being harrassed, although he has said he won't be shooting dogs anymore.

Neighborhood Map

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References

Portland ME Press Herald - Feb 11, 1999

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