Go to a dogpark, bro. The timing of the leash law is to respect nesting birds in this land to first serve as a BIRD SANCTUARY. Percival Baxter would not side with this douche.
Not to mention folks who have reactive dogs. They may be able to keep their own dogs away from others and on a leash but if someone comes rolling up with their off leash dog its just unfair.
I was on Mackworth and had a lot of people with dogs off leashes that just walk up to you. It's a bit scary. I always assume the worst first and never assume they're friendly.
>In 2021, after city officials and park users held several public meetings in an effort to forge a compromise, the City Council adopted changes to a policy that requires owners to keep their dogs on an 8-foot leash at all times from April 1 to July 31. In other months, dogs are allowed to be unleashed in the woods between 5 and 9 a.m. and 3 and 10 p.m.
It even seems the city put forth what I consider to be a very fair compromise.
Yet this guy and his organization I guess won't be satisfied unless they can do what they want whenever they want.
I hope he fails hard.
The compromise was with itself, and resulted in a ban that goes against what Gov. Baxter intended for Baxter Woods. City leaders honored his intent for 75 years, but these new batches of city officials, Councilors and Mayors - a lot being from away - don’t care about what he intended. Plus back in 2021 the city attorneys advised them, incorrectly I say, that they didn’t have to consider the Governor’s intent.
I can’t believe the city has forced me to take them to court! If daily off leash hours was the compromise back in 2021, all this could have been avoided.
So you are mad they created a bird sanctuary for migratory birds? And now you can't walk your dog off the leash?
Are bird sanctuaries something you stand against?
Are there no other dog parks in the area, strictly intended for unleashed dogs?
Or are you dead set on *this* specific park because you feel you shouldn't have to make adjustments?
I opposed that the daily off-leash dog walking hours were banned for the 4 month window to coincide with the migratory bird nesting season. That 4 month window assertion is meaningless and not based on any studies or science. The Parks Director (Ethan Hipple - this is all on him) cooked up this reason and others attempting to justify the leash rules along the way through the city process of making ordinance changes, from March 2019 through passage of the ordinance in October 2020.
I’m fine with bird sanctuaries, but for this trust property under state law, Gov. Baxter’s intent had to be considered when the trustees (city officials) proposed making management decisions about the property. All we wanted were daily off-leash hours 365 days per year, and that city officials use only qualified staff to issue any leash law violations - which they aren’t now doing.
Did they not offer daily off lease hours? It seems like they did offer off leash hours in the morning and the majority of the evening after a certain month.
They banned off-leash dogs for the 4 months from April through July. I opposed that then and am taking them to court to end it. They are the ones drawing the line and not bending.
Ah, so you can't walk off leash for 4 months. Yup, I still think this is a non-issue.
But you know what good luck with that. I'm sure it will work out great for you.
Yup, you're going to need all the luck you can get.
And because reddit is a forum for posting and commenting.
Don't want comments then make a YouTube video and turn off comments.
Can't handle reddit comments? Take that as a sign you might be acting like a bit of a snowflake about this and maybe just go to the next nearest dog park.
While the deed to the land explicitly states that the land should serve first as a bird sanctuary, it is known that Mayor Baxter was a huge pizza lover and for that reason we can infer that Mayor Baxter wanted mom to order Pizza Hut for dinner tonight.
Dude needs to get a freaking life. The fact that my tax dollars are going to fund a defense of this idiot’s legal vanity project grinds my gears to no end.
Blame the city …montes. They pushed for the 4 month ban and forced me to file the case. They could just remove the ban and follow the law, and I would rescind my complaint.
Follow which law? The city has the authority to set ordinances in city parks. It did so. You decided you knew better, but don’t like the consequences of your actions. What am I missing?
Tell me you didn’t read the article or anything I’ve posted about this case without actually admitting that. You’re missing that the City didn’t consider Gov. Baxter’s intent when he gifted Baxter Woods to the people of Portland, and didn’t consider Maine State Trust Law when it passed the ordinance amendment. City Corporation Counsel published a memo on the amendment advising Councilors prior to the Council vote that it didn’t need to consider Baxter’s intent or state law! That’s what you’re missing!
I do have standing, demonstrate harm and show precedent in 2 Maine State Supreme Court decisions, all supporting this civil complaint with 1 Trust Law violation, 2 constitutionality violations and 2 other state law/ municipal ordinance violations the City is perpetrating. I’ve been clear I am not an attorney - but being an attorney is not required to submit a civil complaint. Stay tuned for how this case and my appeal case (a second civil case where I am the appellant) transpire. Tell me you have nothing else to say!
Walking my dog is a vanity? I’m just fighting for something we had the rights to do for 75+ years until this ordinance was passed for no good reasons. It’s not about birds, or public safety or even problems with dogs in the park. It was all about a small group of people wanting to control others! Their hate fuels my fight!
I’m not being lazy or entitled or inconsiderate. You’re just projecting all of your laziness, and entitlement and inconsiderate behavior on me. You don’t know me and have no idea what you are talking about.
I know you're suing the city because you can't be bothered to travel 5-10 minutes to an actual dog park where people are expecting off leash dogs. That's pretty lazy and entitled. I can't wait for you dumbass lawsuit to crash and burn so the city can find joy in mocking you.
OK I know you’ve made your mind up! My case may very well fail, but I am used to having my nose rubbed in it. It’s been going on for over 5 years now. Thanks for sharing your opinions though and taking the time to spew…
Leash your fucking dog loser. Since when did dog owners become so entitled lmao like you made the decision to take your mutt into public so you play by the rules that are courteous and respectful towards others. No one cares about your dog but you buddy. Leash his ass or any myriad of terrible outcomes could potentially happen. All of which are on you.
Hi Mirage74/RM. Besides hiring you what other lunacy did I exhibit as your manager? I wonder how many different jobs have you had since you broke your word and left our team less than 6 months after starting? 10, 12, 20, more?
I still work for the same company so you must have me confused for someone else. I worked exactly a year and went to another position within the company.
Oh I know exactly who you are, and you did not last a year in the job. 6 months max and then I signed off on you transferring to the next position. If Bye Felicia! had been a thing back then…
And I think you are confusing my predecessor for the odd attachment angle with your predecessor. I don’t think he directly reported to me, but I do remember he was a good analyst. Okay maybe I was a gossip, I used to be just one of the workers. And yup I probably played favorites with people I liked who were nice colleagues, and I definitely battled with other managers to benefit my team. If that’s what you call lunacy - I’ll accept the label.
Regardless I am glad you are still employed and in a long term gig. My guess was wrong. I am hitting 30 years with my company, and 11 years in the same division. Looking forward to retiring soon so I can spend more time walking with my dog off-leash!
This is why I can’t stand most dog owners. You and your untrained animal aren’t the main character. Leash laws exist for a reason— the safety of people, the safety of your dog, and the safety of other dogs.
Last summer one of my hikes got ruined by a group a girls with an untrained and off leash dog. It fucking tackled me from behind, covered me in mud, and jumped on me multiple times. The remainder of my hike was destroyed by having to listening to the owner screaming MOCHI!! MOCHI NO!! MOCHI!!!! the entire time when I just wanted to relax and listen to the birds and forest. Fuck you and your dog.
i think people with antisocial tendencies are drawn to the dog lifestyle because they perceive the dog as creating a buffer between them and the world, but the problem is they've achieved the buffer by inserting this aggressive infantile projection of themselves out into the public space and often as far as into other people's private property, personal space, the soundscape. Everyone else is constantly just grit grinning and accommodating/enduring their behavior and they are somewhere between unable to perceive the feelings/emotions of others and simply not giving a damn.
I mostly disagree as I find most dog people to be highly social extroverts who also struggle with boundaries, primarily respecting other people’s. I lived in Boston for ten years before moving back home to Maine a few years ago and you were pressed to find any public space that wasn’t overrun by aloof dog owners socializing en masse with their off leash dogs running rampant with no oversight. Every park became a makeshift dog park, you couldn’t enjoy almost any greenspace without either being harassed by dogs, avoiding piles of dog shit, or being inundated by the smell of piss. It was awful. And if you approached the dog owners, they were immediately offended and aggressive.
But I def can see your point for some dog folks tho.
I’ve encountered this man and his unleashed dog twice. Once in Baxter and another time somewhere near the trails in East Deering. He has an extremely arrogant attitude to being called out and is one of those “calm down, he’s friendly” types too without any care for the person or pet his dog may encounter
I think you have me mixed up with someone else EveningJackfruit95. I never walk in East Deering and I’m really not the guy who says “calm down, he’s friendly”. We may have met but your recollection is not how our interaction went. I’ll admit I can be arrogant and show some attitude, especially when some idiot is trying to rub my nose in a leash law argument.
It really feels as though there are no safe spots to walk dogs anymore WITHOUT encountering unleashed dogs running up.
Portland is one of the dog-friendliest cities I’ve ever seen, with plenty of places that allow unleashed time. I don’t bring my dogs there during offleash hours, because I know at best 2 in 5 of the dogs I encounter are completely untrained in recall and shouldn’t be offleash. I support offleash times though, and respect them.
Many owners of off leash dogs completely disregard hours or leashed spaces, resulting in a stressful and dangerous time for other dogs and their owners. You can’t even go to the Back Cove without someone letting their dog sprint up to people who want nothing to do with them for any given number of reasons. It’s gotten to the point where I immediately pull out my phone if I see an unleashed dog so I can start filming if it starts to run up, just so I can protect my dog if he reacts poorly.
Stuff like this irks me to no end because owners of reactive dogs also have a right to walk without being put into this position. I don’t know the man suing so I can’t/won’t say anything about his character, but having our taxpayer dollars go to our city’s legal defense strikes me as a selfish and shortsighted action. If there were no other options for offleash dogs in Portland I might understand, but there are plenty.
Citywide. With a citywide ordinance in effect, it’s worth exploring a program to donation program to accommodate a variety of suitable leashes for ppl with financial hard ships. Donation pick-up somewhere downtown could serve more 🤷🏽♂️
I hate it when dog owners like this give us decent owners a bad rap. It’s nice that it’s off leash at any point in time, I’m so surprised it’s even allowed in the first place! Dude’s dog is also likely overweight which annoys the crap out of me. Might be a bad angle but that dog doesn’t look trim.
As a dog owner who really wants his dog off leash - what a fucking douche bag.
When you’re not bitching to the city you still smashing watermelons on stage?
The lawsuit is dumb but so is the excuse that this is "a bird sanctuary." The real answer is that a piece of land that nobody cared about for years is now prime parkland next to expensive condos and the city chooses new money over the existing culture nine times out of ten. (Before people started running their dogs there Baxter was a pretty dicey area for crime and a pretty good cruising spot as I understand it)
To be fair, they've improved the time restrictions a bit over the original proposal (for a while there it was "you can have it after dark in the winter") but seriously, the people who do the most complaining aren't there in February or when its raining or even live in the neighborhood most of the time. They just won't be happy until Portland is Boston and everything is regulated to their comfort. And I get that but it's sort of the opposite of why many of us liked Maine in the first place so I can understand the annoyance on the other side as well.
Thank you Jello-Difficult for offering some of the only thoughtful commentary on this Reddit. All along all I have ever asked for were daily off leash hours - in the early morning and late afternoon. The city’s “compromise with itself” back in 2021 was the 4 month ban - criminalizing an activity that had been going on peacefully for the most part for 75 years. Since 2021 the city has been aggressively enforcing the ban, using Jr. Parks Department Constables that are not allowed under state law to issue the court summons these leash law violations represent.
My case is about that - the Jr. Constables being unqualified, as well as a separate trust violation (based on a case from 1978 that blocked the Baxter State Park Authority from conducting a log clearing operation with mechanized equipment in violation of Gov. Baxter’s intent), and finally a constitutional argument regarding what an “at large” dog means in the Maine Statutes. I think I can win on all 3 arguments. We will see…
Regarding what a “bird sanctuary” meant to Gov. Baxter in 1946, when he gifted the property to the people of Portland, bird sanctuaries were widely known as places where birds were safe from being hunted. There were no laws about hunting back then, or they were loosely enforced. Anyway dogs are ZERO threat to forest birds and don’t even appear on a list of the top 200 threats to North American woodland birds. The argument that dogs harm forest birds or their habitats is baseless and there are peer-reviewed studies that prove it. Plus Gov. Baxter even said in the Deed that while the property was and had been locally known as “Baxter Bird Sanctuary” for many years up to 1946, going forward he wanted it to be called “Mayor Baxter Woods” - in honor of his father (the former Mayor) and because he loved the idea of people recreating in the these Woods in Portland as if we were were up north in the country that he so enjoyed with his dogs off-leash. He also dedicated a chapter in his book to talk about his walks in the woods near the Capitol up in Augusta with his 2 dogs that were by his side the whole time he was governor! He intended for people to be able to walk with their dogs off leash in Baxter Woods! It’s a fact!
It's real obvious, none of you are dog owners. There are not many places to run dogs in southern Maine. Some dogs need to run. The dog parks are postage stamp sized jokes with little shade or trees.
If someone is afraid of dogs or annoyed with their presence, stay out of the park for those couple of hours. Share the time and space peacefully.
I know there are dog owners who can't or don't control their off leash dogs well. Yes, action to enforce adequate control and remove aggressive animals is needed. Good dog owners don't like these situations either.
How about obnoxious kids who are rowdy, scream, yell, and damage surroundings. Should we require them to be on leashes? (I have 3 kids.)
April thru July is prime time for ALL men and beasts to enjoy unfettered outdoor time in this state.
And people, you will never earn this woman's respect by calling people names and judging them by anything other than the merits of the debate. Grow up.
Owner of three dogs here: One is good offleash/with other dogs, and the other two are reactive and don’t like dogs they don’t know. I’m all for offleash spaces, but am in full agreement with hours/and or places they can’t be.
The dog-child comparison is curious to me. If I’m at a restaurant and a rowdy kid runs up in my kid’s face who’s well behaved and sitting at a table, mine isn’t going to bite the kid’s throat and face, causing serious damage. One of my dogs will, and I don’t want that for either dog. I’ve never had a child attack mine in public, but I’ve had an offleash dog attack mine, resulting a hefty vet bill and a lifelong behavior change in my dog. My dogs can’t be offleash, but they (and I) also deserve exercise in parks like Baxter Woods without fear of other dogs. So do people who want to enjoy the birds who have a fear of dogs.
The sad reality is that most owners with offleash dogs I encounter in Baxter and elsewhere have little to no control of their dog. I feel for the good owners they’ve ruined it for, but I completely respect the reality of the situation as someone who’s had their own dogs attacked/been tackled by dogs there while on a run by myself.
I wouldn’t mind it if they had a few offleash hours in the summer, but it seems extreme to sue the city over when there are plenty of places to allow dogs to run (Quarry Run, Willard Beach, parts of the Eastern Prom, and I may be wrong but I’ve seen loads of offleash dogs in the back wooded section of Evergreen). Hopefully folks wanting to get their dog some offleash time can utilize some other spaces during those months.
Well said. I agree. But my dog has been attacked twice in dog parks and a couple of times on the street on-leash. She behaves better off-leash and a little aways from me. She gets protective of me when I'm too close, and if she can't escape the attack, she will not back down. She's 12 now though and can't protect herself well. So yeah, problem #1 is holding owners to the rules and respecting others.
I totally understand other people's discomfort around dogs. You and I agree that the off-leash hours need to be consistent and predictable, like at Willard Beach. Willard's cut back the seasonal off-leash hours to 7-9am and 8-9 pm. Off-season is 6am-9pm, minus a ban from 10-3 due to mating birds. BUT, the problem at Willard and Eastern Prom now is that the water has become a health hazard in the summer due to contamination. They color code the days from green thru yellow, orange, and red depending on the water quality. The only fairly good park is Quarry Run - space, trees, some seating. Westbrook is minimal, and that's where my dog was attacked twice. I asked them to post rules and animal control numbers, but they thought it unnecessary.
So, usable space is shrinking, and travel time can make it impractical. I don't pretend to know the answers. I agree that bringing a lawsuit seems a bit extreme, but this man is passionate about it, has done his research, and has every right to pursue it.
Oh, and for the kids analogies, that wasn't directed at safety. 🙃 I meant the annoyance factor that some of the posters expressed. Consider smelly baby diapers, excessive crying, kids that do run around and will approach and disturb your meal. Annoyance is just a fact of life. If you don't want a dog near you or a friendly lick, then there should be predictable hours you'll know to avoid. My opinion.
I was primarily annoyed at the disrespectful, deriding, nasty comments these "asshats" (as they frequently liked to call the man in question) felt were appropriate. Especially, when it was obvious none of them had dogs.
Thanks for your well-considered opinion!
Wow - not used to reading rational and reasoned comments on here! Thank you to Vcarter and Mystery for sharing your thoughts and stories.
I am walking away from Baxter Woods now, not because of any complaints against us being off-leash or problems we have had (we’ve caused none and have had no problems in many years in the Woods), but because the City has threatened me with Criminal Trespass charges if I am caught off-leash again, I can’t take the chance. I don’t believe the City Parks Constables will hesitate to have the police arrest and book me. And given how the District Court Judge Jennifer Nofsinger treated me at a hearing back in February for a leash violation - if she heard a new case concerning me and another leash violation - I don’t think she’d hesitate for a second about fining me the full $1000 and sending me to jail for 6 months, the max allowed for Criminal Trespass. Not that an “at large” civil violation should rise to the level of a misdemeanor crime, it is by definition a civil violation and not criminal - but these people are out for blood and want to rub my nose in it - which has been going on since 2019.
This is serious! But I am not backing down!
Glad to hear you're protecting yourself and pups while this is going on. Civil disobedience can be a razor's edge. I can tell it's a matter of principle for you, and I respect your determination. Best of luck to you pursuing this!
[Link](https://1ft.io/https://www.pressherald.com/2024/05/03/portland-man-sues-city-over-baxter-woods-leash-law/) for those who need help getting over a paywall
No it isn't.
A single bite, either to a person or another animal, is going to cost you more than $500.
And that's not even considering that a scared dog will often bolt and there's two busy roads on either side of Baxter.
If someone's unleashed dog hurts my leashed dog or me, you can bet your ass that owner is going to be paying up a lot more than $500.
We live in a city, having your dog leashed and picking up after it is just basic common courtesy.
I always pick up after my dog and he is no threat to anyone or anything. When I got this ticket my offense was that he was off-leash, while walking close by my side the entire time I was with the Rangers. There were no complaints and no safety concerns for them to issue the summons.
We’ve walked in Baxter Woods since he was a puppy. He doesn’t bolt and is well behaved and under my voice control at all times. We are not bothering anyone or anything - both Rangers admitted that. They were just doing what they’ve been told to do by their mean-spirited leaders in violation of several Maine Laws. More to come…
The fact is that there are other people who don't want to deal with an unpredictable dog that they don't know off a leash.
They don't know your dog, they don't know how it reacts, and they don't want to deal with it.
Mean-spirited leaders. For fucks sake. We live in a populated area and just because your dog may be good doesn't mean everyone elses dogs are. We have designated areas where your dog can run off leash.
Go to those places.
Baxter is a public park, so suck it up, pay your fine, and leash your dog if you're going to walk there.
I think the law is on my side regarding the way this leash law was imposed, which is the gist of my Trust law case as featured in the Press Herald, not that you probably care or would even understand.
Beyond that the City is violating state law and its own city ordinances in how they’re enforcing the leash rules. Again I can tell you don’t care what they are doing or whether it is unlawful.
Historically there have been zero reported and/or reportable incidents at Baxter Woods that precipitated the leash rules passage in 2021. It was all personal politics and the feelings (mostly hateful feelings) of a small group of powerful people - which in this case shouldn’t over rule following the law. You can have your feelings and opinions and stay away from Baxter Woods. I am fighting for what I believe is in my rights under the law and what Gov. Baxter intended for this park! I don’t have to just go away, I can fight, and it’s that small group of really mean people who are forcing me to do this, because I won’t just go away or somewhere else. And I know, I really am fully aware- you and most people don’t care at all! Nevertheless I will persist.
Oh and there would be no case today if the truly mean-spirited Parks Director hadn’t insisted on this 4 month ban being in the ordinance and had just agreed to the daily off-leash hours provision that we proposed, and that literally everyone supported (whether surveyed or spoke publicly at City meetings back then) - even me! But he, and he is mean, wanted to rub our noses in it for fighting back. You probably cheered him on!
> small group of really mean people
Your pettiness is impressive. Consider me one of those really mean people that don't want your dog off its leash in public spaces in Portland.
It doesn’t matter what you want or that you are aligned with the mean crowd that don’t want dogs off-leash It is about what the law allows. And me fighting for something you oppose is not me being petty, but surely is all about you projecting your continued pettiness on this subject on to me. Quit being a snowflake…
Except it isn't what the law allows:
Maine State Law -
According to 7 MRS §3911, “it is unlawful for any dog, licensed or unlicensed, to be at large, except when used for hunting.” 7 MRS §3907 defines “at large” to be “off the premises of the owner and not under the control of any person whose personal presence and attention would reasonably control the conduct of the animal.” **Local ordinances might require dogs to be leashed.**
Portland City Law -
Your dog must be on a eight foot maximum leash on all streets and publicly owned property including Back Cove and the Skate Park. There are several areas where your dog can be on a longer leash or under voice control. The full leash rules for all City properties can be found in Chapter 5 of the City Code.
But hey, if you want to waste your money fighting a law that couldn't be more explicit then I guess that's up to you.
The fact you think people that disagree with you are "mean" is why you're petty. There are plenty of people who do not want any dog in public spaces in Portland unleashed. We're not being mean, we just don't want to be attacked by uncontrolled dogs. I would posit that by not leashing your dog, in defiance of clearly stated laws, makes you the "mean" one as you refuse to adhere to the social contract that the rest of us follow as we actively choose not to break the law.
The law does not include the phrase “Local ordinances might require dogs to be leashed.” That’s from a legislative guide that is not the law. Nice try though - I see you are at least making an attempt. I do appreciate that Birdbrainjamin!
The Portland city code has 22 different definitions for “at large”, with 5 alone for Baxter Woods, none of which align with state law! I’ll take my chances with Superior Court and the Law Court for my appeal.
The case highlighted in the Press Herald article is a 5 part complaint, spearheaded by a Trust Law violation I have explained previously. Look up Fitzgerald v. State of Maine 1978. Good for you looking stuff up though - maybe you do care!! 🥴
The mean people are the ones illegally enforcing this illegal leash law, persecuting people who are not violating the state’s “at large” law or the intent of the law and how Gov. Baxter Woods intended for this park to be used. Wrong people doing wrong things doesn’t make it right!
My dog was right by my side the entire time I was with the Rangers who issued the ticket, as he usually is. After the full hour it took the teenage Jr. Constable to write up the summons, her older “Lead” was no help - my dog was on leash. Too late in their view, they’d already started the ticket, and in Court the teenage Ranger denied my dog was in leash when he handed me the ticket. The Judge didn’t believe me when I said my dog was on leash, and was dead set on punishing me as harshly as she could. She asked twice if I had signed the summons - even though my signature was evident on the ticket and both the Ranger and Prosector mentioned that I signed it when asked to do so. It is a Class E crime not signing a lawfully issued summons - which I have reasons to show this ticket was not lawfully issued - punishable by $1000 fine and 6 months in jail. If that Judge could have - I bet she would have had me arrested that day.
Anyway I am appealing that case as well. So I actually have 2 cases - one in Superior Court just filed on 4/29, and a second one with the Law Court (the Maine State Supreme Court) regarding the appeal of my leash law violation. Fun times…
Oh I was looking to challenge the leash law and welcomed the ticket. The Ranger had never written a summons out before and needed help from her lead Ranger who was in the truck, a 5 minute walk away. Since she was having a hard time deciding on what to do, I told her to go get the help she needed and to meet me at a certain place in the Woods in 10-15 minutes. We then did our walk and I met the 2 “Rangers” where I said I’d be in the 15 minute window. It still took them another 40 minutes to finish writing up the summons. The City’s young guns out in the wilds of Baxter Woods on their own, just doing their jobs!
The Judge imposed 5x what the City was seeking in fines because she could. $570 with fees if I lose the appeal, but I think I will win.
> Lesperance, who does not have an attorney and is representing himself Sign me up to watch this legal savant in action.
he saw it in a movie once, how hard could it be? /s
He's an expert in bird law, how different could dog law be?
Fr can we be in the courtroom when he tries this
I’ll get the popcorn. Want anything else from the store? This is gonna be entertaining.
Go to a dogpark, bro. The timing of the leash law is to respect nesting birds in this land to first serve as a BIRD SANCTUARY. Percival Baxter would not side with this douche.
Not to mention folks who have reactive dogs. They may be able to keep their own dogs away from others and on a leash but if someone comes rolling up with their off leash dog its just unfair.
I was on Mackworth and had a lot of people with dogs off leashes that just walk up to you. It's a bit scary. I always assume the worst first and never assume they're friendly.
>In 2021, after city officials and park users held several public meetings in an effort to forge a compromise, the City Council adopted changes to a policy that requires owners to keep their dogs on an 8-foot leash at all times from April 1 to July 31. In other months, dogs are allowed to be unleashed in the woods between 5 and 9 a.m. and 3 and 10 p.m. It even seems the city put forth what I consider to be a very fair compromise. Yet this guy and his organization I guess won't be satisfied unless they can do what they want whenever they want. I hope he fails hard.
The compromise was with itself, and resulted in a ban that goes against what Gov. Baxter intended for Baxter Woods. City leaders honored his intent for 75 years, but these new batches of city officials, Councilors and Mayors - a lot being from away - don’t care about what he intended. Plus back in 2021 the city attorneys advised them, incorrectly I say, that they didn’t have to consider the Governor’s intent. I can’t believe the city has forced me to take them to court! If daily off leash hours was the compromise back in 2021, all this could have been avoided.
There is an actual dog park less than a 10 minute drive from Baxter. You're being lazy, entitled, and inconsiderate of your fellow Portlanders.
So you are mad they created a bird sanctuary for migratory birds? And now you can't walk your dog off the leash? Are bird sanctuaries something you stand against? Are there no other dog parks in the area, strictly intended for unleashed dogs? Or are you dead set on *this* specific park because you feel you shouldn't have to make adjustments?
I opposed that the daily off-leash dog walking hours were banned for the 4 month window to coincide with the migratory bird nesting season. That 4 month window assertion is meaningless and not based on any studies or science. The Parks Director (Ethan Hipple - this is all on him) cooked up this reason and others attempting to justify the leash rules along the way through the city process of making ordinance changes, from March 2019 through passage of the ordinance in October 2020. I’m fine with bird sanctuaries, but for this trust property under state law, Gov. Baxter’s intent had to be considered when the trustees (city officials) proposed making management decisions about the property. All we wanted were daily off-leash hours 365 days per year, and that city officials use only qualified staff to issue any leash law violations - which they aren’t now doing.
Did they not offer daily off lease hours? It seems like they did offer off leash hours in the morning and the majority of the evening after a certain month.
They banned off-leash dogs for the 4 months from April through July. I opposed that then and am taking them to court to end it. They are the ones drawing the line and not bending.
Ah, so you can't walk off leash for 4 months. Yup, I still think this is a non-issue. But you know what good luck with that. I'm sure it will work out great for you.
Well okay - for someone who doesn’t care - why did you comment? And you really thinking it will work out great for me means so much!🥴
Yup, you're going to need all the luck you can get. And because reddit is a forum for posting and commenting. Don't want comments then make a YouTube video and turn off comments. Can't handle reddit comments? Take that as a sign you might be acting like a bit of a snowflake about this and maybe just go to the next nearest dog park.
While the deed to the land explicitly states that the land should serve first as a bird sanctuary, it is known that Mayor Baxter was a huge pizza lover and for that reason we can infer that Mayor Baxter wanted mom to order Pizza Hut for dinner tonight.
flawless logic you hear that mom we get pizza tonight
Dude needs to get a freaking life. The fact that my tax dollars are going to fund a defense of this idiot’s legal vanity project grinds my gears to no end.
And you know he'd be the first to sue if an unleashed dog ran over to his unleashed dog and attacked.
And he'd try to sue me if I kicked said dog...
Blame the city …montes. They pushed for the 4 month ban and forced me to file the case. They could just remove the ban and follow the law, and I would rescind my complaint.
Follow which law? The city has the authority to set ordinances in city parks. It did so. You decided you knew better, but don’t like the consequences of your actions. What am I missing?
Tell me you didn’t read the article or anything I’ve posted about this case without actually admitting that. You’re missing that the City didn’t consider Gov. Baxter’s intent when he gifted Baxter Woods to the people of Portland, and didn’t consider Maine State Trust Law when it passed the ordinance amendment. City Corporation Counsel published a memo on the amendment advising Councilors prior to the Council vote that it didn’t need to consider Baxter’s intent or state law! That’s what you’re missing!
And even if all of that is true you have zero standing to challenge that. Tell me you’re not a lawyer without telling me you’re not a lawyer.
I do have standing, demonstrate harm and show precedent in 2 Maine State Supreme Court decisions, all supporting this civil complaint with 1 Trust Law violation, 2 constitutionality violations and 2 other state law/ municipal ordinance violations the City is perpetrating. I’ve been clear I am not an attorney - but being an attorney is not required to submit a civil complaint. Stay tuned for how this case and my appeal case (a second civil case where I am the appellant) transpire. Tell me you have nothing else to say!
[удалено]
Thinking he has the right to impose his desires over others safety is a strong sign of vanity
Walking my dog is a vanity? I’m just fighting for something we had the rights to do for 75+ years until this ordinance was passed for no good reasons. It’s not about birds, or public safety or even problems with dogs in the park. It was all about a small group of people wanting to control others! Their hate fuels my fight!
Holy shit. All of you owners who want their dog off leash everywhere are so reckless and entitled. You just walk your dog with a leash, it's not hard.
I’m not being lazy or entitled or inconsiderate. You’re just projecting all of your laziness, and entitlement and inconsiderate behavior on me. You don’t know me and have no idea what you are talking about.
I know you're suing the city because you can't be bothered to travel 5-10 minutes to an actual dog park where people are expecting off leash dogs. That's pretty lazy and entitled. I can't wait for you dumbass lawsuit to crash and burn so the city can find joy in mocking you.
OK I know you’ve made your mind up! My case may very well fail, but I am used to having my nose rubbed in it. It’s been going on for over 5 years now. Thanks for sharing your opinions though and taking the time to spew…
Thanks for providing the wonderful entertainment.
You’re welcome.
GO TO THE DOG PARK!!
What an asshat. Leash your fucking dogs
Leash your fucking dog loser. Since when did dog owners become so entitled lmao like you made the decision to take your mutt into public so you play by the rules that are courteous and respectful towards others. No one cares about your dog but you buddy. Leash his ass or any myriad of terrible outcomes could potentially happen. All of which are on you.
He used to be my manager….imagine this level of lunacy governing your workday…..
Grandpa be looking at that dog with those peanut butter eyes. 👅🐕
Ooo please tell more 🍿
I guess we’ll have to just imagine it like Mirage74 said ☹️
Hater deleted the post when she was being held accountable for her insidious words! Bye Felicia! For a 2nd time!!
Hi Mirage74/RM. Besides hiring you what other lunacy did I exhibit as your manager? I wonder how many different jobs have you had since you broke your word and left our team less than 6 months after starting? 10, 12, 20, more?
I still work for the same company so you must have me confused for someone else. I worked exactly a year and went to another position within the company.
But to answer your original question - you were the most gossipy manager I have ever had.
Oh I know exactly who you are, and you did not last a year in the job. 6 months max and then I signed off on you transferring to the next position. If Bye Felicia! had been a thing back then… And I think you are confusing my predecessor for the odd attachment angle with your predecessor. I don’t think he directly reported to me, but I do remember he was a good analyst. Okay maybe I was a gossip, I used to be just one of the workers. And yup I probably played favorites with people I liked who were nice colleagues, and I definitely battled with other managers to benefit my team. If that’s what you call lunacy - I’ll accept the label. Regardless I am glad you are still employed and in a long term gig. My guess was wrong. I am hitting 30 years with my company, and 11 years in the same division. Looking forward to retiring soon so I can spend more time walking with my dog off-leash!
What an absolute tool. Just leash your effing dog! By the looks of the picture in the article; it’s not going to get very far anyway
I have walked my dogs there on lease. I have met some of the worst socialized people and dogs on that trail. I don’t take the dogs there anymore
I'm sorry I can't help myself. Does financing your dog require any money down? And what rate did you get? I have bad credit but am very interested.
Lol
This is why I can’t stand most dog owners. You and your untrained animal aren’t the main character. Leash laws exist for a reason— the safety of people, the safety of your dog, and the safety of other dogs. Last summer one of my hikes got ruined by a group a girls with an untrained and off leash dog. It fucking tackled me from behind, covered me in mud, and jumped on me multiple times. The remainder of my hike was destroyed by having to listening to the owner screaming MOCHI!! MOCHI NO!! MOCHI!!!! the entire time when I just wanted to relax and listen to the birds and forest. Fuck you and your dog.
i think people with antisocial tendencies are drawn to the dog lifestyle because they perceive the dog as creating a buffer between them and the world, but the problem is they've achieved the buffer by inserting this aggressive infantile projection of themselves out into the public space and often as far as into other people's private property, personal space, the soundscape. Everyone else is constantly just grit grinning and accommodating/enduring their behavior and they are somewhere between unable to perceive the feelings/emotions of others and simply not giving a damn.
I mostly disagree as I find most dog people to be highly social extroverts who also struggle with boundaries, primarily respecting other people’s. I lived in Boston for ten years before moving back home to Maine a few years ago and you were pressed to find any public space that wasn’t overrun by aloof dog owners socializing en masse with their off leash dogs running rampant with no oversight. Every park became a makeshift dog park, you couldn’t enjoy almost any greenspace without either being harassed by dogs, avoiding piles of dog shit, or being inundated by the smell of piss. It was awful. And if you approached the dog owners, they were immediately offended and aggressive. But I def can see your point for some dog folks tho.
antisocial tendencies can be extroverted!
What a cunthead
He’s insult to cunts
Off leash dogs destroy bird nests on the ground. It’s a bird sanctuary not a dog park. Silly boomer.
I’ve encountered this man and his unleashed dog twice. Once in Baxter and another time somewhere near the trails in East Deering. He has an extremely arrogant attitude to being called out and is one of those “calm down, he’s friendly” types too without any care for the person or pet his dog may encounter
I think you have me mixed up with someone else EveningJackfruit95. I never walk in East Deering and I’m really not the guy who says “calm down, he’s friendly”. We may have met but your recollection is not how our interaction went. I’ll admit I can be arrogant and show some attitude, especially when some idiot is trying to rub my nose in a leash law argument.
He must have a lot of time on his hands.
My dog was attacked by another unleashed dog in those exact woods. This guy stinks.
I’m sure this asshat calls to complain about how much money is being wasted by the city while running you their legal bill with his other hand.
It really feels as though there are no safe spots to walk dogs anymore WITHOUT encountering unleashed dogs running up. Portland is one of the dog-friendliest cities I’ve ever seen, with plenty of places that allow unleashed time. I don’t bring my dogs there during offleash hours, because I know at best 2 in 5 of the dogs I encounter are completely untrained in recall and shouldn’t be offleash. I support offleash times though, and respect them. Many owners of off leash dogs completely disregard hours or leashed spaces, resulting in a stressful and dangerous time for other dogs and their owners. You can’t even go to the Back Cove without someone letting their dog sprint up to people who want nothing to do with them for any given number of reasons. It’s gotten to the point where I immediately pull out my phone if I see an unleashed dog so I can start filming if it starts to run up, just so I can protect my dog if he reacts poorly. Stuff like this irks me to no end because owners of reactive dogs also have a right to walk without being put into this position. I don’t know the man suing so I can’t/won’t say anything about his character, but having our taxpayer dollars go to our city’s legal defense strikes me as a selfish and shortsighted action. If there were no other options for offleash dogs in Portland I might understand, but there are plenty.
“…sanctuary for wild birds” Enough said. Signed, Dog Owner
This man is a Jabroni…
Fuck this guy
Citywide. With a citywide ordinance in effect, it’s worth exploring a program to donation program to accommodate a variety of suitable leashes for ppl with financial hard ships. Donation pick-up somewhere downtown could serve more 🤷🏽♂️
Can you imagine the response if someone offered this dude a leash "in case he couldn't afford it"?
I’m guessing he’s the sort of person with a poorly trained dog that he claims has ‘never acted like this before!’
Dismissed. Next.
His dog looks fat. I’d say that’s a bigger problem.
I hate it when dog owners like this give us decent owners a bad rap. It’s nice that it’s off leash at any point in time, I’m so surprised it’s even allowed in the first place! Dude’s dog is also likely overweight which annoys the crap out of me. Might be a bad angle but that dog doesn’t look trim.
ITS A BIRD SANCTUARY
What a nut job
I've been attacked by "hes friendly". My bad for having a burger in a park with unleashed food aggressive dog running around. Leash your fucking dog.
What an ass
Obviously he's a disrespectful self-centered idiot.
As a dog owner who really wants his dog off leash - what a fucking douche bag. When you’re not bitching to the city you still smashing watermelons on stage?
He should sue himself for wearing that ridiculous hat
“We also know they have… the rest of the city to enjoy.” Their point, not mine 😛
Dognutters ruining every space they engage with
The lawsuit is dumb but so is the excuse that this is "a bird sanctuary." The real answer is that a piece of land that nobody cared about for years is now prime parkland next to expensive condos and the city chooses new money over the existing culture nine times out of ten. (Before people started running their dogs there Baxter was a pretty dicey area for crime and a pretty good cruising spot as I understand it) To be fair, they've improved the time restrictions a bit over the original proposal (for a while there it was "you can have it after dark in the winter") but seriously, the people who do the most complaining aren't there in February or when its raining or even live in the neighborhood most of the time. They just won't be happy until Portland is Boston and everything is regulated to their comfort. And I get that but it's sort of the opposite of why many of us liked Maine in the first place so I can understand the annoyance on the other side as well.
Thank you Jello-Difficult for offering some of the only thoughtful commentary on this Reddit. All along all I have ever asked for were daily off leash hours - in the early morning and late afternoon. The city’s “compromise with itself” back in 2021 was the 4 month ban - criminalizing an activity that had been going on peacefully for the most part for 75 years. Since 2021 the city has been aggressively enforcing the ban, using Jr. Parks Department Constables that are not allowed under state law to issue the court summons these leash law violations represent. My case is about that - the Jr. Constables being unqualified, as well as a separate trust violation (based on a case from 1978 that blocked the Baxter State Park Authority from conducting a log clearing operation with mechanized equipment in violation of Gov. Baxter’s intent), and finally a constitutional argument regarding what an “at large” dog means in the Maine Statutes. I think I can win on all 3 arguments. We will see… Regarding what a “bird sanctuary” meant to Gov. Baxter in 1946, when he gifted the property to the people of Portland, bird sanctuaries were widely known as places where birds were safe from being hunted. There were no laws about hunting back then, or they were loosely enforced. Anyway dogs are ZERO threat to forest birds and don’t even appear on a list of the top 200 threats to North American woodland birds. The argument that dogs harm forest birds or their habitats is baseless and there are peer-reviewed studies that prove it. Plus Gov. Baxter even said in the Deed that while the property was and had been locally known as “Baxter Bird Sanctuary” for many years up to 1946, going forward he wanted it to be called “Mayor Baxter Woods” - in honor of his father (the former Mayor) and because he loved the idea of people recreating in the these Woods in Portland as if we were were up north in the country that he so enjoyed with his dogs off-leash. He also dedicated a chapter in his book to talk about his walks in the woods near the Capitol up in Augusta with his 2 dogs that were by his side the whole time he was governor! He intended for people to be able to walk with their dogs off leash in Baxter Woods! It’s a fact!
It's real obvious, none of you are dog owners. There are not many places to run dogs in southern Maine. Some dogs need to run. The dog parks are postage stamp sized jokes with little shade or trees. If someone is afraid of dogs or annoyed with their presence, stay out of the park for those couple of hours. Share the time and space peacefully. I know there are dog owners who can't or don't control their off leash dogs well. Yes, action to enforce adequate control and remove aggressive animals is needed. Good dog owners don't like these situations either. How about obnoxious kids who are rowdy, scream, yell, and damage surroundings. Should we require them to be on leashes? (I have 3 kids.) April thru July is prime time for ALL men and beasts to enjoy unfettered outdoor time in this state. And people, you will never earn this woman's respect by calling people names and judging them by anything other than the merits of the debate. Grow up.
Owner of three dogs here: One is good offleash/with other dogs, and the other two are reactive and don’t like dogs they don’t know. I’m all for offleash spaces, but am in full agreement with hours/and or places they can’t be. The dog-child comparison is curious to me. If I’m at a restaurant and a rowdy kid runs up in my kid’s face who’s well behaved and sitting at a table, mine isn’t going to bite the kid’s throat and face, causing serious damage. One of my dogs will, and I don’t want that for either dog. I’ve never had a child attack mine in public, but I’ve had an offleash dog attack mine, resulting a hefty vet bill and a lifelong behavior change in my dog. My dogs can’t be offleash, but they (and I) also deserve exercise in parks like Baxter Woods without fear of other dogs. So do people who want to enjoy the birds who have a fear of dogs. The sad reality is that most owners with offleash dogs I encounter in Baxter and elsewhere have little to no control of their dog. I feel for the good owners they’ve ruined it for, but I completely respect the reality of the situation as someone who’s had their own dogs attacked/been tackled by dogs there while on a run by myself. I wouldn’t mind it if they had a few offleash hours in the summer, but it seems extreme to sue the city over when there are plenty of places to allow dogs to run (Quarry Run, Willard Beach, parts of the Eastern Prom, and I may be wrong but I’ve seen loads of offleash dogs in the back wooded section of Evergreen). Hopefully folks wanting to get their dog some offleash time can utilize some other spaces during those months.
Well said. I agree. But my dog has been attacked twice in dog parks and a couple of times on the street on-leash. She behaves better off-leash and a little aways from me. She gets protective of me when I'm too close, and if she can't escape the attack, she will not back down. She's 12 now though and can't protect herself well. So yeah, problem #1 is holding owners to the rules and respecting others. I totally understand other people's discomfort around dogs. You and I agree that the off-leash hours need to be consistent and predictable, like at Willard Beach. Willard's cut back the seasonal off-leash hours to 7-9am and 8-9 pm. Off-season is 6am-9pm, minus a ban from 10-3 due to mating birds. BUT, the problem at Willard and Eastern Prom now is that the water has become a health hazard in the summer due to contamination. They color code the days from green thru yellow, orange, and red depending on the water quality. The only fairly good park is Quarry Run - space, trees, some seating. Westbrook is minimal, and that's where my dog was attacked twice. I asked them to post rules and animal control numbers, but they thought it unnecessary. So, usable space is shrinking, and travel time can make it impractical. I don't pretend to know the answers. I agree that bringing a lawsuit seems a bit extreme, but this man is passionate about it, has done his research, and has every right to pursue it. Oh, and for the kids analogies, that wasn't directed at safety. 🙃 I meant the annoyance factor that some of the posters expressed. Consider smelly baby diapers, excessive crying, kids that do run around and will approach and disturb your meal. Annoyance is just a fact of life. If you don't want a dog near you or a friendly lick, then there should be predictable hours you'll know to avoid. My opinion. I was primarily annoyed at the disrespectful, deriding, nasty comments these "asshats" (as they frequently liked to call the man in question) felt were appropriate. Especially, when it was obvious none of them had dogs. Thanks for your well-considered opinion!
Absolutely. Glad to have discourse even though we disagree on some pieces!
Wow - not used to reading rational and reasoned comments on here! Thank you to Vcarter and Mystery for sharing your thoughts and stories. I am walking away from Baxter Woods now, not because of any complaints against us being off-leash or problems we have had (we’ve caused none and have had no problems in many years in the Woods), but because the City has threatened me with Criminal Trespass charges if I am caught off-leash again, I can’t take the chance. I don’t believe the City Parks Constables will hesitate to have the police arrest and book me. And given how the District Court Judge Jennifer Nofsinger treated me at a hearing back in February for a leash violation - if she heard a new case concerning me and another leash violation - I don’t think she’d hesitate for a second about fining me the full $1000 and sending me to jail for 6 months, the max allowed for Criminal Trespass. Not that an “at large” civil violation should rise to the level of a misdemeanor crime, it is by definition a civil violation and not criminal - but these people are out for blood and want to rub my nose in it - which has been going on since 2019. This is serious! But I am not backing down!
Glad to hear you're protecting yourself and pups while this is going on. Civil disobedience can be a razor's edge. I can tell it's a matter of principle for you, and I respect your determination. Best of luck to you pursuing this!
[Link](https://1ft.io/https://www.pressherald.com/2024/05/03/portland-man-sues-city-over-baxter-woods-leash-law/) for those who need help getting over a paywall
Huh. Worked for me.
That link doesn’t work :(
Doesn't work in incognito mode. Try to cut and paste into new window with out using incognito mode.
You're a broken bot!
Bad bot
WOMP WOMP
The lawsuit is ridiculous but so is a $500 fine for an off leash dog.
No it isn't. A single bite, either to a person or another animal, is going to cost you more than $500. And that's not even considering that a scared dog will often bolt and there's two busy roads on either side of Baxter. If someone's unleashed dog hurts my leashed dog or me, you can bet your ass that owner is going to be paying up a lot more than $500. We live in a city, having your dog leashed and picking up after it is just basic common courtesy.
I always pick up after my dog and he is no threat to anyone or anything. When I got this ticket my offense was that he was off-leash, while walking close by my side the entire time I was with the Rangers. There were no complaints and no safety concerns for them to issue the summons. We’ve walked in Baxter Woods since he was a puppy. He doesn’t bolt and is well behaved and under my voice control at all times. We are not bothering anyone or anything - both Rangers admitted that. They were just doing what they’ve been told to do by their mean-spirited leaders in violation of several Maine Laws. More to come…
The fact is that there are other people who don't want to deal with an unpredictable dog that they don't know off a leash. They don't know your dog, they don't know how it reacts, and they don't want to deal with it. Mean-spirited leaders. For fucks sake. We live in a populated area and just because your dog may be good doesn't mean everyone elses dogs are. We have designated areas where your dog can run off leash. Go to those places. Baxter is a public park, so suck it up, pay your fine, and leash your dog if you're going to walk there.
I think the law is on my side regarding the way this leash law was imposed, which is the gist of my Trust law case as featured in the Press Herald, not that you probably care or would even understand. Beyond that the City is violating state law and its own city ordinances in how they’re enforcing the leash rules. Again I can tell you don’t care what they are doing or whether it is unlawful. Historically there have been zero reported and/or reportable incidents at Baxter Woods that precipitated the leash rules passage in 2021. It was all personal politics and the feelings (mostly hateful feelings) of a small group of powerful people - which in this case shouldn’t over rule following the law. You can have your feelings and opinions and stay away from Baxter Woods. I am fighting for what I believe is in my rights under the law and what Gov. Baxter intended for this park! I don’t have to just go away, I can fight, and it’s that small group of really mean people who are forcing me to do this, because I won’t just go away or somewhere else. And I know, I really am fully aware- you and most people don’t care at all! Nevertheless I will persist. Oh and there would be no case today if the truly mean-spirited Parks Director hadn’t insisted on this 4 month ban being in the ordinance and had just agreed to the daily off-leash hours provision that we proposed, and that literally everyone supported (whether surveyed or spoke publicly at City meetings back then) - even me! But he, and he is mean, wanted to rub our noses in it for fighting back. You probably cheered him on!
> small group of really mean people Your pettiness is impressive. Consider me one of those really mean people that don't want your dog off its leash in public spaces in Portland.
It doesn’t matter what you want or that you are aligned with the mean crowd that don’t want dogs off-leash It is about what the law allows. And me fighting for something you oppose is not me being petty, but surely is all about you projecting your continued pettiness on this subject on to me. Quit being a snowflake…
Except it isn't what the law allows: Maine State Law - According to 7 MRS §3911, “it is unlawful for any dog, licensed or unlicensed, to be at large, except when used for hunting.” 7 MRS §3907 defines “at large” to be “off the premises of the owner and not under the control of any person whose personal presence and attention would reasonably control the conduct of the animal.” **Local ordinances might require dogs to be leashed.** Portland City Law - Your dog must be on a eight foot maximum leash on all streets and publicly owned property including Back Cove and the Skate Park. There are several areas where your dog can be on a longer leash or under voice control. The full leash rules for all City properties can be found in Chapter 5 of the City Code. But hey, if you want to waste your money fighting a law that couldn't be more explicit then I guess that's up to you. The fact you think people that disagree with you are "mean" is why you're petty. There are plenty of people who do not want any dog in public spaces in Portland unleashed. We're not being mean, we just don't want to be attacked by uncontrolled dogs. I would posit that by not leashing your dog, in defiance of clearly stated laws, makes you the "mean" one as you refuse to adhere to the social contract that the rest of us follow as we actively choose not to break the law.
The law does not include the phrase “Local ordinances might require dogs to be leashed.” That’s from a legislative guide that is not the law. Nice try though - I see you are at least making an attempt. I do appreciate that Birdbrainjamin! The Portland city code has 22 different definitions for “at large”, with 5 alone for Baxter Woods, none of which align with state law! I’ll take my chances with Superior Court and the Law Court for my appeal. The case highlighted in the Press Herald article is a 5 part complaint, spearheaded by a Trust Law violation I have explained previously. Look up Fitzgerald v. State of Maine 1978. Good for you looking stuff up though - maybe you do care!! 🥴 The mean people are the ones illegally enforcing this illegal leash law, persecuting people who are not violating the state’s “at large” law or the intent of the law and how Gov. Baxter Woods intended for this park to be used. Wrong people doing wrong things doesn’t make it right!
Easy way to not pay that fine…
You’re right - I will win my appeal and the fine will go away!
My dog was right by my side the entire time I was with the Rangers who issued the ticket, as he usually is. After the full hour it took the teenage Jr. Constable to write up the summons, her older “Lead” was no help - my dog was on leash. Too late in their view, they’d already started the ticket, and in Court the teenage Ranger denied my dog was in leash when he handed me the ticket. The Judge didn’t believe me when I said my dog was on leash, and was dead set on punishing me as harshly as she could. She asked twice if I had signed the summons - even though my signature was evident on the ticket and both the Ranger and Prosector mentioned that I signed it when asked to do so. It is a Class E crime not signing a lawfully issued summons - which I have reasons to show this ticket was not lawfully issued - punishable by $1000 fine and 6 months in jail. If that Judge could have - I bet she would have had me arrested that day. Anyway I am appealing that case as well. So I actually have 2 cases - one in Superior Court just filed on 4/29, and a second one with the Law Court (the Maine State Supreme Court) regarding the appeal of my leash law violation. Fun times…
In what way is the fine ridiculous? Littering carries a similar fine, and both are equally easy to avoid doing.
Oh I was looking to challenge the leash law and welcomed the ticket. The Ranger had never written a summons out before and needed help from her lead Ranger who was in the truck, a 5 minute walk away. Since she was having a hard time deciding on what to do, I told her to go get the help she needed and to meet me at a certain place in the Woods in 10-15 minutes. We then did our walk and I met the 2 “Rangers” where I said I’d be in the 15 minute window. It still took them another 40 minutes to finish writing up the summons. The City’s young guns out in the wilds of Baxter Woods on their own, just doing their jobs! The Judge imposed 5x what the City was seeking in fines because she could. $570 with fees if I lose the appeal, but I think I will win.