HOULTON, Maine — Houlton police have charged two southern Aroostook men with animal cruelty following an incident on Monday, Nov. 26, that resulted in the death of a dog.
When officers Charlie Heath and Nicole Dudley responded at about 8:30 p.m. to a disturbance call at an apartment complex at 52 School St. they “determined the incident involved the abuse and death of a dog,” Houlton Police Chief Tim DeLuca said in a press release Friday afternoon.
“On-scene officers conducted a thorough investigation, interviewing several witnesses and gathering evidence,” he said.
As a result, police charged Kevin G. Cummings, 27, of Houlton with aggravated cruelty to animals. The officers charged Brian Vrieze, 27, of Hodgdon with cruelty to animals.
Details about the incident or how the dog, a Husky, was killed were not released.
The chief said the investigation is ongoing with the assistance of representatives from the state Animal Welfare Program, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.
“HPD has a zero tolerance for this type of crime in our community,” Chief DeLuca added.
