Pet Theft Penalty in Maine: Criminal Charges, Fines, and Civil Damages Explained
October 14, 2026
If someone walked off with your dog from a parking lot or lured your cat away from your porch, you might assume Maine has a law that calls this “pet theft” by name. It doesn’t. Instead, Maine treats a stolen companion animal the same way it treats a stolen bicycle or laptop: as property, valued in dollars, and prosecuted under the state’s general theft code.
That approach surprises a lot of pet owners, especially when the animal in question is a purebred Maine Coon or a working dog worth thousands of dollars. This guide walks through how Maine actually charges pet theft, what separates a misdemeanor from a felony, and what civil options exist alongside any criminal case.
Important Note: This article explains Maine law for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. If you’re dealing with a stolen pet or facing a theft charge, talk to a licensed Maine attorney about your specific situation.
Whether Stealing a Pet Is a Crime Under Maine Law
Yes, taking someone else’s dog, cat, or other companion animal without permission is a crime in Maine, but not because a separate “pet theft” statute exists. Maine folds dog theft into its general property crime code instead of a standalone offense, with penalties tied to your dog’s value. A pet qualifies as personal property under state law, so a person who takes an animal without consent is charged the same way as someone who takes a wallet, a tool, or a piece of jewelry.
This matters for owners of any companion species, whether it’s a popular dog breed or a less common household animal like a hedgehog kept under Maine’s exotic pet rules. As long as the animal is legally owned property, taking it without authorization exposes the person responsible to criminal liability, and in some cases, a separate civil claim as well.
How Maine Charges Pet Theft: Animal-Specific Statutes vs General Theft or Larceny
Maine’s theft law lives in Title 17-A, Chapter 15, and it defines theft broadly as obtaining or exercising unauthorized control over another person’s property with intent to permanently deprive them of it. Prosecutors reach for this chapter, not a wildlife or animal code, when charging someone who took a pet. The Maine Criminal Code’s theft chapter covers theft by unauthorized taking, theft by deception, theft by extortion, and theft by receiving stolen property, and any of these can apply to a stolen animal depending on how it happened.
There is one animal-specific provision worth knowing: Title 7, Section 3953, which addresses stealing, injuring, or killing dogs. This section does not replace the criminal theft charge; it exists alongside it and gives dog owners a distinct civil path, which is covered later in this guide. Cats and other companion animals don’t have an equivalent animal-specific statute, so theft of a cat, rabbit, or bird runs entirely through the general theft code.
Pro Tip: If your stolen pet is a distinctive breed with recognizable markings, such as the color variations seen in Maine Coon coat patterns, document those details immediately. Distinctive markings make it easier for police, shelters, and the public to identify your animal if it surfaces.
Felony vs Misdemeanor Thresholds for Stealing a Dog, Cat, or Companion Animal in Maine
Because Maine treats a stolen pet as stolen property, the dollar value of the animal drives the charge. Under the theft chapter, theft of property valued at $500 or less is a Class E crime, which is the lowest misdemeanor level. As the appraised value of the animal climbs, the classification climbs with it, moving from Class E up through Class D and into the felony-level Class C, B, and A tiers.
Class D and E offenses are misdemeanors in Maine, while Class A, B, and C offenses are felonies, and a felony conviction can follow someone for life since Maine does not allow expungement. That distinction matters a great deal for pet theft cases, because the market value of the animal, not how the owner feels about it, is usually what a court looks at first.
| Crime Class | Typical Trigger | Felony or Misdemeanor |
|---|---|---|
| Class E | Property value of $500 or less | Misdemeanor |
| Class D | Value above the Class E threshold | Misdemeanor |
| Class C | Higher property value, or aggravating factors | Felony |
| Class B | Value exceeding $10,000, per the theft chapter | Felony |
| Class A | Very high value or repeat prior convictions | Felony |
A prized breeding animal, a working farm dog, or a show-quality cat can realistically push a theft charge into felony territory, especially since courts look at replacement cost, pedigree, and training investment when appraising value. A common mix-up in Maine is treating a repeat low-level theft as automatically minor. A misdemeanor theft offense becomes a felony-level Class C offense if the person has two or more prior theft-related convictions, regardless of the animal’s value on that occasion.
Fines, Jail or Prison Time, and Restitution for Pet Theft in Maine
Once a court determines the crime class, sentencing follows Maine’s standard framework for that class rather than anything animal-specific. Class E misdemeanors carry a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to 180 days in jail, while Class D misdemeanors can bring up to 364 days in county jail and a fine of up to $2,000.
Felony-level pet theft carries substantially more exposure. Under Maine’s fine statute, a Class C crime carries a maximum fine of $5,000, a Class B crime up to $20,000, and a Class A crime up to $50,000. On the incarceration side, Class B theft convictions can bring sentences of up to ten years in prison, and Maine’s Class C ceiling generally sits at five years, since that is the standard maximum tied to the classification itself. Broadly speaking, felonies in Maine are punishable by terms of one year or more, up to life in state prison, with the exact term depending on the class and any aggravating factors.
Fines aren’t necessarily capped at those flat numbers either. Maine law also allows a judge to order a fine up to two times the amount the defendant gained from the offense, which can matter if a stolen pet was resold for a profit. Courts can also order restitution on top of any fine, and a theft conviction at any level can result in incarceration along with the payment of fines and restitution, meaning veterinary bills, recovery costs, or the animal’s assessed value can all factor into what the defendant ultimately owes.
If the theft also involved harm to the animal, a separate charge under Maine’s animal cruelty law can stack on top of the theft charge. Maine’s cruelty to animals statute requires courts to impose a fine of not less than $500 for each violation, independent of whatever penalty applies to the theft itself.
Civil Damages, Treble Recovery, or Related Claims After Pet Theft in Maine
A criminal conviction doesn’t automatically put money back in a pet owner’s pocket, which is why Maine’s civil provisions matter just as much as the criminal charge. For dogs specifically, Title 7, Section 3953 gives owners a separate civil cause of action against anyone who steals, injures, or kills their dog. This lets a dog owner pursue a financial judgment independent of, and in addition to, whatever happens in criminal court.
Cat owners and owners of other companion animals generally don’t have that dog-specific statute available, but they aren’t left without options. General civil claims for conversion (the civil equivalent of theft) and the criminal restitution order tied to a conviction both remain available. Some theft victims in Maine may also be able to pursue enhanced statutory damages beyond simple replacement value, though the exact standards and multipliers can shift depending on how the claim is framed.
Important Note: Whether enhanced or treble-style civil damages apply to a specific pet theft claim in Maine depends heavily on the facts of the case. Confirm current eligibility and any applicable multiplier with a Maine attorney before assuming a particular dollar figure.
Practically, this means it’s worth documenting everything tied to the animal’s value and your losses, since these figures often determine both the criminal charge class and any civil award. That includes purchase price or adoption fee, veterinary and microchipping records, breeding or show records for animals like a family-oriented Maine Coon, and any expenses incurred while searching for or recovering the pet.
How to Report a Stolen Pet to Police or Animal Control in Maine
Speed matters when a pet goes missing under suspicious circumstances. Maine has no statewide pet registry that automatically flags a stolen animal, so the responsibility for triggering a search falls on the owner and local officials working together.
- Call local police first. File a report with the police department or sheriff’s office covering the area where the pet was last seen or taken. Ask for a case or report number, since you’ll need it for insurance claims, civil filings, or follow-up with animal control.
- Contact your municipal animal control officer. Every Maine municipality is required to designate an animal control officer, and this person can coordinate with shelters and check impound records for a matching animal.
- Notify area shelters and veterinary clinics. Provide a photo, microchip number if available, and any distinguishing marks or coloring.
- Check licensing and microchip records. A current dog license or registered microchip is strong proof of ownership if the animal is recovered and its possession is disputed.
- Post in local lost-and-found networks. Community groups, neighborhood associations, and local classifieds often move faster than official channels for spotting a missing animal.
Pro Tip: Keep proof of ownership current before you ever need it. A licensed pet, a registered microchip, and dated veterinary photos make both the police report and any later court filing far more straightforward.
Possession, Sale, or Transfer of a Stolen Pet Under Maine Law
Taking a pet isn’t the only way to run afoul of Maine’s theft chapter. Knowingly buying, receiving, or holding onto an animal that you know or believe was stolen is its own offense, theft by receiving, and it’s classified using the same value-based thresholds as the original taking. This means someone who bought a stolen dog secondhand, even without personally stealing it, can face a charge just as serious as the original thief’s.
Selling or rehoming a stolen pet online adds another layer of risk for the person doing the selling, since online marketplace transactions leave a paper trail that investigators and civil attorneys can use. Transferring a stolen animal across state lines can also intersect with Maine’s pet import requirements, particularly for species subject to additional health certificates or ownership restrictions, such as animals covered under rules for raccoon ownership or exotic species like a kangaroo kept under a specialty permit.
If your pet turns up in someone else’s possession, criminal charges aren’t the only avenue. A civil action, sometimes called replevin, can be used to recover physical possession of the animal itself rather than just a monetary judgment. Combined with a police report and any criminal case, this gives Maine pet owners a genuine path back to their animal, not just financial compensation for losing it.
Whether you’re dealing with a missing dog, a cat that vanished from your yard, or a companion animal like the ones covered under multi-pet household guidance, understanding these overlapping criminal and civil tracks gives you a clearer picture of what to expect if your case moves through Maine’s legal system.