The state official charged with animal cruelty in the death of Maine's first public safety comfort dog, Baxter, resigned from his post Oct. 3, according to the Department of Public Safety.
Brodie Hinckley, the former state director of emergency communications, was the handler of the three-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, who died after allegedly being left in an overheated state vehicle in late May.
After the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Animal Welfare Program completed an independent investigation of the incident, the Penobscot County District Attorney issued Hinckley a civil animal cruelty violation, and he was immediately placed on paid administrative leave in mid-September.
A spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety said that Hinckley's resignation is a personnel matter, and she couldn't comment further. His court date is scheduled for Nov. 6 in Bangor.
