In Maine, if you run into a deer, moose or even a turkey with your vehicle, you are required to notify authorities about that accident. A benefit of this law is that if the animal is severely injured and must be put down that can occur in a timely, humane manner and the animal is not left to wander into the woods and slowly die.

It makes perfect sense to require notification, and frankly 95% of all drivers want to do the right thing by an animal that they have injured.

The same respect for animals hit by vehicles does not extend to dogs, cats or livestock. We found this out when our farm dog Percy was hit in August of 2020. He was being led home by a neighbor, a car turned onto Route 128, speeding, swerved and hit the dog, almost hitting the neighbor. The car then sped off. We were working on fences, heard the breaks squeal, the vehicle hitting the dog, and the dog scream, so we all ran to the road. About that time a bicyclist came along and said that the same vehicle almost hit him on the side road.

Percy suffered a broken leg and dislocated hip. He underwent two surgeries and multiple X-rays, exams and a long several months of recovery.

The accident was reported to the sheriff, folks were interviewed, but the culprit was never located.

It was then that we discovered that an animal hit-and-run is not a crime in Maine. If you hit a dog, cat or livestock, unless the “necessary market value of repairs is over $1,000,” there is no requirement to notify anyone.

I am going to go back to where I started. First of all, the vast majority of Maine drivers are decent human beings who would stop and try to help any animal they hit and second, the primary reason for notification is the welfare of the animal. Had we not been fencing and heard the accident, Percy might have wandered into the woods and died a slow, painful death. Since both legs on his right side were injured, it would not have been surprising that he might not have been able to make it home even if he wanted to.

Rep. Allison Hepler, Rep. Holly Stover and others have submitted L.D. 598, “An Act to Require a Vehicle Operator to Notify an Owner or Law Enforcement Officer of an Accident Involving a Dog, a Cat or Livestock”

The bill is in the Transportation Committee. Sen. Ben Chipman and Rep. Lynne Williams are the co-chairs. While it may seem that this legislation is logical and ought to be passed, it is important to know that two years ago a similar bill did not pass the Legislature. It is going to take lots of emails, testimony, and contacts with legislators to make it happen this year.

What can you do?

To find you legislators go to www.legislature.maine.gov. Ask them to support L.D.  598 and provide our animals with the same respect in a vehicle accident that is afforded to deer and moose.

To submit testimony, go to www.mainelegislature.org/testimony

If you have had the experience of losing or having an animal injured in a hit-and-run accident tell your story.

If you want to attend the hearing on this bill you can sign up for notices by contacting the committee clerk at this address: Committee On Transportation, Clerk Justine Griswold, State House, Room 126; 207-287-4148; TRA@legislature.maine.gov

For more information please contact: Marge Kilkelly, Dragonfly Cove Farm, 5 McCobb Road, Dresden, ME 04342; email marge.kilkelly@gmail.com; or call 207-380-7783.

Marge Kilkelly is a resident of Dresden.

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