In 2025, the Oxford County Unorganized Territories entered into their first Animal Control services agreement with Brandon E. Holmes. Following approval by the Oxford County Commissioners in April 2025, service began in May. The UTs include Albany Township, Mason Township, Riley Township, Milton Township, and surrounding unorganized areas — some of the most remote territory in the coverage zone.
A total of 19 calls for service were logged between May and December 2025. As a first-year partial contract, this is a baseline, not a full annual figure.
2025 Call Volume
Here is how the 19 calls broke down:
- Stray or loose animals – 8
- General animal control and administrative – 3
- Continuing education – 2
- Welfare checks – 2
- Bite investigation and quarantine enforcement – 1
- Kennel inspection – 1
- Aggressive behavior – 1
- Cruelty to animals – 1
Bite Investigation
One bite investigation was documented in the UTs in 2025 at a residence in Mason Township. The victim required three stitches. The involved animal’s vaccination status was confirmed, and a 10-day quarantine was initiated and monitored in accordance with state protocol.
Cruelty Response
A late-night cruelty response was conducted in Milton Township after a complaint was received regarding horses left outside in subzero temperatures. Contact was made with the owner, and the horses were brought inside and out of the cold without further incident.
Kennel Inspection
One kennel inspection was completed at New England Dogsledding, a facility housing 35 sled dogs. All animals were observed to be in good health, older dogs were kept indoors, and the facility was clean and well managed. The inspection was rated satisfactory.
Stray and Lost Animal Response
Eight stray and loose animal cases were handled across the UTs in 2025. These included three Huskies recovered at a farm after escaping, a German Shepherd with a history of aggression that was transported to a shelter, two poodles found near Waterford after escaping their home on Hunts Corner Road, and three large white dogs reported near Frenchman’s Hole in Riley Township that could not be located. A response at Hunts Corner Road also resulted in the placement of 12 cats through partnering shelters.
Geographic Reality
The Oxford County Unorganized Territories cover a large, sparsely populated area. Most responses involve 40 to 80 miles of round trip travel. In 2025, 982.57 miles were logged for 19 calls, averaging about 51.7 miles per call. That reflects what it actually takes to provide Animal Control coverage at this scale, and it is built into the contract structure accordingly.
Training and Continuing Education
The following training was completed in 2025 with the UT’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
Mileage
982.57 miles were logged on Oxford UT calls in 2025. High per-call mileage is expected and is not likely to decrease significantly in future years given the size and character of this jurisdiction.
Contact
To report an animal control concern in the Oxford County Unorganized Territories, contact Oxford County Dispatch at 207-743-9554, Option 0. Dispatch is available 24 hours a day.
Download the 2025 Oxford County UT Animal Control Annual Report (PDF)