Stoneham Animal Control – 2025 Annual Report

In 2025, the Town of Stoneham began receiving Animal Control coverage through a new contract with Brandon E. Holmes, with service starting in March 2025. A total of 25 calls for service were logged between March and December. Because the contract is new and began mid-year, this report reflects a partial first year and serves as a baseline for future comparisons.

2025 Call Volume

Here is how Stoneham’s 25 calls broke down:

Stray or loose animals – 12
Bite investigations and quarantine enforcement – 4
General animal control and administrative – 4
Continuing education – 2
Welfare checks – 2
Cruelty to animals – 1

Bite Investigations

Four bite investigation case activities were documented in Stoneham in 2025. One involved a cat bite at a veterinary clinic that triggered a 45-day observation period, which was resolved without incident. A second case in December involved a Cane Corso that bit a child on the face at a residence, resulting in a formal bite report and quarantine. An administrative matter involving a potentially forged rabies vaccination record was also documented and referred to the appropriate law enforcement authority.

Geographic Reality

Stoneham is one of the more remote towns in the coverage area. Most responses involve 40 to 60 miles of round trip travel. In 2025, 967.87 miles were logged for 25 calls, averaging about 38.7 miles per call. That is simply the geography of providing Animal Control coverage in a rural western Maine town, and it is factored into the contract accordingly.

Stray and Lost Animal Cases

Several cases in 2025 required extended monitoring. A Cane Corso picked up at a traffic stop required coordinated effort from multiple responders to safely contain and transport. A newly adopted cat that went missing shortly after adoption required months of field monitoring and trapping attempts. Two dogs from the same property were picked up near the post office and transported to a shelter, with the owner later identified.

Welfare Checks

Two welfare check case activities were documented in Stoneham. Both involved the same property and required multiple contact attempts across several visits. Deputy support was determined to be necessary before the check could be safely completed, and the matter remains subject to continued follow-up.

Training and Continuing Education

The following training was completed in 2025 with Stoneham’s proportional share included in billing:

Maine CARES – coordinated community animal response and emergency preparedness
Large Animal Emergency Rescue (LAER) Parts I and II – classroom and hands-on training with horses and donkeys
Maine Humane Conference – three CE credits covering humane handling, community cat programs, and communication