Maine Wardens are offering a $2,000 reward to find a “cowardly” man who shot a dog

The Maine Warden Service is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man who shot and killed a domestic dog on a North Yarmouth trail Friday.

According to the Warden Service, the incident occurred around 11 a.m. when three people were walking their dogs on a marked trail in Knights Pond Preserve.

One of their dogs was shot about 20 feet in front of them.

According to the Warden Service, the shooter was described as a man in his 30s with dark hair and shaggy facial hair. He was wearing a bright orange vest, bright orange hat and camouflage pants. The dog’s owners had a brief encounter with the shooter, but he quickly fled the scene.

According to the Warden Service, a man matching this description was seen leaving the area in a dark, full-size pickup truck.

“This cruel, negligent shooting is both despicable and inexcusable, and is made worse by the cowardly act of the shooter who fled the scene,” Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Judy Camuso said in a statement. “The incomprehensible and horrific act of one individual tarnishes the reputation of all 230,000 hunters in Maine.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Maine Warden Service at 207-624-7076 or contact Operation Game Thief at 1-800-ALERT-US.

The Warden Service is also asking the shooter to call 207-624-7076 and turn himself in.