Pit bull quarantine bill sent to Lebanon, State Police.

A bill to pay the shelter that quarantined two pit bulls after they mauled a 12-year-old girl earlier this spring outside her River Road home has been sent to the town of Lebanon and State Police, neither of whom is anxious to pay.

Lt. Louis A Nyitray, commander of Troop A Barracks in Alfred, said today the town had received a $700 bill from the Animal Welfare Society in West Kennebunk and that bill had been forwarded on to State Police. Nyitray said he would check with State Police higher-ups but doubted his agency would foot the bill.

He said the owner of the pit bulls after the attack had offered to quarantine the pair while they were observed for rabies, but State Police had determined that that course of action would not be appropriate and ordered the animals to be housed at the West Kennebunk shelter.

The two dogs, Jager and Meister, were ultimately euthanized soon after they were found to be negative for rabies and continued to exhibit anti-social behavior.

Nyitray said he would have expected the bill to be sent to the dogs’ owner, adding that state statute makes the owner of the dogs responsible for costs incurred in such cases.

He said it was his understanding that the town was refusing to pay the bill.

The two pit bulls on April 27 sprang from their back-yard enclosure at 260 River Road and mauled the girl who was playing nearby. She was bitten severely around the neck, shoulder and arm, but is said to be recovering nicely from the attack.

Lebanon officials were not immediately available for comment.