The boyfriend of the owner of two dogs who disappeared after the state Supreme Judicial Court upheld an order to have them euthanized, was in court today. Brandon Ross pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to comply with a court order.
Shortly after the court upheld the order, their owner, Danielle Jones, took them out of the shelter where they were being held, and didn't bring them back. She said they'd slipped their leashes and run into the woods.
Deputy District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh argued the case today against Ross. He says the dogs are now thought to likely be out of state.
"The state maintains that Mr. Ross and Miss Jones took the dog out of state to avoid having them put down," Cavanaugh said.
The dogs killed a smaller dog, and seriously injured a woman in August of 2016 in Winslow.
The Portland Press Herald reports that the dogs' owner, Danielle Jones, pleaded not guilty last week by mail and didn't appear in court.
Both Ross and Jones are out on bail; Cavanaugh says if they don't reach a plea deal with prosecutors, the case will likely be tried in late summer.
