LEWISTON — A Livermore Falls man whose dog mauled a Jack Russell terrier last month pleaded not guilty Wednesday to three civil violations.
Martin Vining pleaded not guilty in Lewiston District Court on Wednesday to owning a dangerous dog that was unlicensed and allowed to run at large. The charges stem from an incident last month in Livermore Falls in which a Jack Russell terrier was killed.
Martin Vining, 41, told an 8th District Court judge he was not guilty of owning or keeping a dangerous dog, an unlicensed dog or a dog running at large.
Vining at first pleaded guilty to owning an unlicensed dog, but he reversed his plea after the judge suggested he enter the same plea on all three charges.
A Nov. 16 trial date was set.
Because the charges alleged are civil infractions, Vining can't be sentenced to serve time in jail if found guilty, the judge said.
The charges stem from an incident during which the Jack Russell terrier, Jack, a therapy dog, was being walked on a leash on a Sunday afternoon in Livermore Falls. The dog's owner, Bethany Miller, was walking with her three children. About a half-mile from Miller's home, Vining's dog, Hooch, a bull mastiff-mastiff-Rottweiler mix, who wasn't on a leash, attacked Jack.
Vining, a friend and a police officer tried to separate the dogs, but Jack was killed during the fight.
Hooch also had attacked a mail carrier in 2007; Vining was charged with having a dangerous dog.
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Give me a break!
I have owned pit bulls for years. When you own dogs that are perceived as a threatening breed, as an owner you have to be an advocate for them. That means monitoring them at all times. As you were burying one that had been hit by a car, and was obviously off leash, and unattended, it would seem to be that you are the problem. And to blame the dog that was leashed for being attacked is ludicrous. Do yourself a favor and just stop trying to defend yourself. Nothing you can say will change the fact that you should not own any sort of pet, because you are not a responsible owner.
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My heart goes out to Jacks family.. therapy dogs & the people that share these special animals kudos on what they do.. hats off to Jack.
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my name is Kyle Wilson. I am the eldest of the three boys who were walking Jack home from the park. I know what happened and what did not. There are some mistakes in the paper that I would like to clarify and some terrible things being said that simply are not true. My mother did not accompany the four of us on our trip to the park. We had not yet reached Martin's property when the attack happened. We were coming up to the corner of his property but we were still on the sidewalk on the oposite side of a bush that divides martin's land from that of his neighbor's. Hooch came around the corner of the property and strutted up to us like a retriever would if it were fetching a stick. He stopped a moment to look us all over, focussing specifically on my youngest, and smallest brother. Then he noticed Jack, to whom he walked closer and imediatey bit around the back portion of his rib cage. Hooch then shook him violentlyuntil he stopped moving. A friend of Martin's did indeed try to separate the dogs but was unable to. We are appreciative of the effort however. Martin was unable to view the attack until the end because he was on the other side of the bush which is tall enough to restrict view. We still have recieved no apology from Martin, nor do we think w ever will. At every oportunity Martin has tried to make our lives difficult since the attack. My two younger brothers were traumatized by what happened and now because Martin has plead "not guilty" they will have to re-live it in thier testimonies in court. Martin has also been making legal acusations about my family that result in persecution of the inocent. As to the idea that Jack attacked first, it was simply impossible. Jack's body was professionally examined and cremated by Fluke's Aftercare. It was noted by the examiner that Jack had no blood of any kind in is mouth when he died, and the bite was severe enough to puncture both of his lungs and his heart. Death would have been almost instantaneous, making it impossible to fight back at all.
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the key word , leash...... dog running @ large strike 2 ... prior mailcarrier bite.. the postal service must be drooling and the postal carrier also.
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I just want 2 say thank you 2 all of those who have tried 2 defend me,my family & of coarse the real victim Jack.Some things in this article are untrue.Like the part about me,the owner of Jack walking my dog with my boys.I am unable to walk that far,as I am in poor health.As a result my husband & children had to take turns walking our beloved Jack.I would also like to point out the fact that Jack never spent even 1 day inside a kennel.He was very well socialized,he spent his whole life with our family,he was never left alone so there was no need for a kennel.I only state this because I noticed a comment about Jack in a kennel.
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Hah yeah I am sure I would not put myself in that atmosphere. And I am sure you are confusing a service dog and a therapy dog. A service dog opens doors and the like. A therapy dog can be any size and any breed. And you know what? It doesn't matter what kind of dog it was. The point here is is that Hooch was off his leash, already deemed dangerous, unregistered and unwatched. And I am sure Jack would have attacked having a dog as intimidating as Hooch threaten his family. There is a difference between a territorial dog and a mean dog. A territorial dog would have stood his ground and barked without invading. And seeing is how Jack was on a leash I doubt he crossed the yard to attack the mastiff.
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Why you would plead not guilty is beyond me. Your dog had already been deemed dangerous and should have been put down or put on a leash. Your dog was not registered. What if Jack hadn't stepped in the way of the children and Hooch attacked one of the children instead? I have seen Hooch and he is a giant. He would have killed a child if they did not have their dog. And in the previous articles said that the reason you were not tending to Hooch was because one of you other dogs who was not on a leash had been hit by a car and you were burying it. You obviously do not deserve to own anymore animals. But most likely you will get a slap on the wrist, you do when it comes to everything thing else.
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if "jack" the so called therapy terrier wasnt there hooch wouldnt have attacked at all. to actually BE a therpy dog it needs to be bigger than a terrier that can open doors and do tasks for it owner not kept cooped up in a kennel or used as a lap dog. it was the terrier that attacked hooch first he just defended hisself. and as ive put in another article on this subject here they are again on the 2 breeds bullmastiffs http://www.bullmastiffinfo.org/breed.htm and terriers http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/jackrussellterriers.html and half of you know martin and even go over there to visit him. so why judge him? are you any better?
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If you're going to play that game. Then by all means it's really Martin's fault. His dog never should have been on the side walk. If the dog wasn't on the sidewalk he never would have feared for his life over a like you said in so many words "tiny dog".
And you know what? If you're dying and you have a pet like Jack I bet you'd think of him as a therapy dog as well. You should really, really be ashamed. Poor Martin's feeling are hurt because people are judging his character. When Beth's life could be cut drastically shorter because of this! Sham on you!
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you think this is a game? well i feel sorry for you. why dont you go pop the top on another beer and sit back at your computer and think up some more trash to talk
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Actually I'm a pregnant woman who doesn't drink or smoke. I have a full time job and don't live off from wellfare. Oh, and just in case you're going to drag it out further I am married and have been with my husband for 7 years. I consider myself to be a law abiding citizen who will lend a helping hand to anyone in need. But I won't stand for numb people bullying the innocent.
Just to be clear, I don't have to think up anything. You are the one who is putting it right out there. I'd respect you a wee bit more if you would confront the facts and not small pieces of the conversation.
I pray to God this world changes before my child comes into it. It's a real sad thing to bring a child into the world with so many people who have no common sense and cannot figure out right from wrong. And honestly, I pray you don't have any animals nor will you ever have to go through this situation because you don't appear to have a conscience.
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never had a problem with my Lab mauling anything but his chew toy....and I do pick up after him....
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So, I'm confused Sandy47. Are you really Martin or are you Martin's friend? I've enjoyed reading your previous posts. You must be a really, really good friend to Martin (or Martin himself) to stick up for someone who clearly broke the law.
Fact: dog wasn't registered
Fact: dog was owned by Martin
Fact: dog was not on leash
Fact: dog killed a SMALL therapy dog
Fact: this falls on Martin, not the dog.
Fact: You are a complete jerk to assume that the Miller's will find another dog to love just as much as Jack. If you knew the family at all you'd know that the mother is very, very sick.
We live in America so we have the right to say anything we want, judge whoever we want, and the right to give advice. So I'm going to give you some. If you were a real friend the only thing you should be writing is "this was an awful tragedy that never should have happened. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Millers."
Instead you make yourself look like a jerk who doesn't have a heart. I'm not sure when you're going to get this, but this isn't about you nor Martin. Wake up, you still have everything & everyone you love. You didn't lose a darn thing from this incidence.
But hey, if you want to continue to look like an idiot go put the blame on the victims some more.
Martin, you screwed up but you have a chance to fix this. You could start with an apology to the Millers.
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Just know im big dogs voice in here.he does apologise to keith and beth for what his dog did.but its not right for most of you that come on here that knows martin and hooch and bad mouth him.clean out your skeletons in your own closet before passing judgements on him.
He who without sin cast the first stone.
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...All you people need to get a life of your own and stay out of mine. Who are you to judge on what i can or cant wear? the police officer was actually across the street and mrs miller wasnt walking the dog with her 3 children...just the 3 boys.
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... it's a biker
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--- Duck
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And this changes the fact that your an irresponsible dog owner how????? Most people would try to dress respectable to go to court rather than looking like they just got off the bar stool... Heres a tip for you , tie up your vicious, uncontrolable dog and you wont have to make court appearances and be under public scrutiny... You can wear whatever you want but as always if your in public you will be judged.. Like if you were wearing a clown suit, in my judgement you would be a clown.... So taking all things into consideration like your lack of being a responsible dog owner coupled with your poor choice in wardrobe for a court appearance and wrap that up with the senseless choice to plead not guilty to charges that are prettymuch undefendable.. That would secure your place in the log books under the category of Dumba$$... I for one think that part of your sentencing should include mandatory volunteer service at the local humane society so you can see what it really takes to be a responsible dog owner. Also you should not be allowed to own a dog until the experts at the shelter deem you fit to properly care for a dog and use good judgement with the ownership of any dog .. But we will see how things go for ya... Start saving those pennys I predict some hefty fines in your future...
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Again, well said.
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ahhhh, sun journians-do what they do best-attack a persons appearance... judging/ridicule.
there has to be a reason why he's pleading not guilty, i have no idea why-but if it were me (god forbid any of my dogs or rescues do something insane like this) i wouldn't fight it. i couldn't. i have insurance (personal liability) on all my dogs-if they were to bite someone it would be taken care of-however i do not think that it covers someone's dog being injured or killed. we have insurances for everything under the sun, but when it comes down to pets or companies wanting to fight it we're bum out. as dog owners it is our responsibility to make sure events like this do not happen. that begins with training and socializing.
it is so simple and easy to register dogs and not only a state law, but (supposivly some of) that money goes back to animal welfare. registering dogs is a way that they can have acknowledgment that they were even born... ALIVE. registering dogs is also a good way to prove that a dog is yours. the tag can help assist finding a lost dog. dogs need their rabies shot in order to be able to get the tag... there are rabies clinic at pet co and pet quarters if someone can not afford to take them to the vet at the very least... so there is no excuse in not following the law and protecting them.
sometimes-MANY TIMES-owners are guilty of loving their dogs too much... the dogs may exhibit unwanted behaviors on fault of the owner and lack of training/corrective training and/or past events and/or the breed. it is hard to let go or admit 'hey, i can not handle this on my own-i need help'. there is nothing wrong with that-but we have to do right by the animal so things like this don't happen.
rescuing dogs ended up being my accidental fate... the conditions or stories that follow each of these rescues it what drives me to do what i do. please people-spay and neuter your pets... STOP the excessive breeding. "don't shop... adopt" millions upon millions of dogs are being cruelly bred and millions upon millions of dogs and cats are being euthanized because no one can take them in. PLEASE neuter and spay your animals so this does not end up being their fate or their off-springs fate. i would like to let people know that i rescued my dogs or they were rescued and given to me, and have never paid for any of them. all dogs need the love, attention, and right training and the right dog/breed to fit your lifestyle and home. i will continue to rescue dogs and re-home them. EVERYONE should. DOGS AREN'T DISPOSABLE! IF ANYONE FEELS THAT THEY CAN'T HANDLE THEIR DOG THEY CHOSE TO OWN, THEY ARE NOT TRAINING THEM PROPERLY! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do right by them and at least make sure that you've put in the EFFORT to correct whatever it is that you are having an issue with. dogs are only as good as their owners! i know this first hand from experience at a younger age. the results ARE devastating. dogs are like children, and i would hope that no one would dispose their children, like they feel they are able to with a dog. becoming an owner of a dog is a commitment for LIFE!
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What a fine upstanding citizen of the community .... NOT He looks like a punk with his cut off wife beater shirt , tatoo and sunglasses hanging from his pocket. I bet he doesn't work but collects SSI or unemployment food stamps the works you name it. What happened to that crazy ass dog who mauled Jack ???? where is that dangerous dog ? proably back with the dangerous owner. I say both of them should be "put down" His friend the police officer that was there when this all took place, he should have been doing his job and warning his "friend" about the laws involved owning dogs especially dangerous ones like this. This so called police officer should get a slap for not doing his part protecting and serving his community !!! shame on him
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It said Vining, a friend and a police officer...this means 3 people. Not a police officer who wa a friend of Vinings....You really need to make sure you know what your talking abot before you go off and try to chastize a police officer who was doing the right thing ...If i were the cop on scene, i would have shot the dog....
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why is he pleading not guilty, the moron? The cops were right there? His dog was right there? HE was right there? You can obviously see that the dog takes after his owner! What a jerk is the kindest thing I can say here.
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All dogs should be on a leash and most of thier owners if they look like this should be too what a crazy ass to let them dangerous dogs run loose put him and his dogs with Bubba in jail
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From Thornscrag turd sanctuary to local neighborhoods, these ignorant dog owners continue to break the state law by letting their dogs run free to terrorize people,and other dogs. 1,000$ fine,(2,000$ second offense) will cure these law breakers (even if they can't afford sleves). Unfortunately , people need to bring pepper spray along on their walks to protect themselves.
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Suggestions. Maybe instead of a sleevesless shirt you could put on a dress shirt (with sleeves) and a tie. Also a shave with a razor with a blade in it couldn't hurt.
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... it would hide the tatoos
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