The director of Maine’s Bureau of Emergency Communications has been charged with a civil violation of animal cruelty and placed on paid leave in connection with the death of the state’s first official comfort dog.

Baxter, a 3-year-old chocolate Labrador, was tasked with comforting dispatchers at the state Bureau of Emergency Communications. He died on May 28 after being left in a state vehicle outside of the Bangor Regional Communications Center on a hot day.

Investigators determined that Baxter was left for more than four hours in the car, depleting the vehicle’s battery, Penobscot County District Attorney Christopher Almy said Friday. State police previously had said that the vehicle “unexpectedly” stopped running.

Brodie Hinckley, Baxter’s handler, was charged with a civil violation of animal cruelty, the district attorney’s office said in a statement Friday.

“Regardless of whether the air conditioning was on or not, he nevertheless had a duty to check on Baxter during the time the dog was in the car,” Almy said.

Hinkley could not be reached for comment Friday.

He was placed on paid administrative leave “effective immediately,” according to a statement Friday by the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the emergency communications office.

CIVIL VIOLATION

Almy said his office filed the charge against Hinckley as a result of the Animal Welfare Program’s independent investigation into Baxter’s death. If convicted of the civil violation, Hinckley could face a fine, which Almy believes would be $500 based on the facts of the case.

Baxter first came to the department in 2022 through Hero Pups, a nonproft in New Hampshire that pairs dogs with first responders and veterans.

“This tragedy has had a profound impact on many people, including many members of the department, and especially those who worked with Baxter every day,” the Department of Public Safety said in a statement.

Hinckley is set to appear in court in Bangor on Nov. 6, according to the district attorney’s office.