There are very few public details about what happened when a state comfort dog died in a hot car two months ago.
Baxter, a 3-year-old chocolate labrador retriever, died May 29 after he was left in a hot car parked at the Bangor Regional Communications Center. He was supposed to provide comfort to Maine’s emergency dispatchers.
An independent investigation started nearly a month after Baxter died. The investigation started June 18 by the Animal Welfare Program of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
It is still active as of Tuesday, department spokesperson Jim Britt said. He could not share additional information.
The state has provided minimal details about the events that led up to Baxter’s death earlier this year. Nearly 7,000 people signed a change.org petition demanding someone be held accountable for the dog’s death.
Baxter’s handler was Brodie Hinckley, the director of Maine Department of Public Safety Communications, spokesperson Shannon Moss said previously. She would not confirm if Hinckley was the person who left Baxter in the vehicle.
It is still not clear whether there is a criminal investigation into the dog’s death, or if Baxter would have a necropsy, which is an examination to determine the cause of death of an animal. Moss did not respond to requests for comment by time of publication.
Baxter was a frequent star on the Facebook page for public safety communications in the years since he joined staff in April 2023.
Temperatures reached 82 degrees Fahrenheit in Bangor the day of Baxter’s death.
