....but this story is ridiculous. They make it sound like he shoved this woman out of the way and grabbed the dog.

He went the day before the dog was eligible for adoption. The shelter let him have it, basically because they thought it would be good publicity.

Unless you are implying he somehow knew this woman (or somehow the shelter knew about this woman) having "mental dibs" on the dog and needed to get the jump on the imaginary line forming at the psychic door.

Sounds like he went in to visit, actually held and petted the dog, fell in love with it, and decided to adopt and yeah, the shelter got a nice photo op for a dog they had no idea would or wouldn't get adopted.

Paul Lepage is a major fucking asshole, but even Hitler liked dogs.....hell, Jack Russells are usually nippy little....anyway, I'll stop there.

allowed to adopt the dog she wanted?

I see adorable dogs on our local news shows all the time that are available for adoption, and I have pretty much assumed that by the time I get to the dog shelter, that dog won't be available.

I feel for what she's been through, but the media shouldn't have printed this.

How totally tone deaf does one have to be in our current political climate?

First, that's disgusting, on the part of the shelter and the governor.

Second, he doesn't deserve a Jack Russell.

I am sure it was all prearranged that this living piece of excrement got the dog which he will probably abuse now that the spotlight is off his smelly ass

Rot in hell all republican bastards

in what powerful jerks there are in the world. This will shape her worldview.

Hard to believe the guy actually wants a dog.

-- Mal

Put the shoe on the other foot.

If a shelter let the Obamas adopt a dog the day before it technically becomes available because they thought it would be good publicity, how much of an outcry would we see here?

He might be a jackass, but he's not a jackass for adopting the dog! And apparently, his dog died recently.

If we can't even understand that people with very different political beliefs from us can love a dog, there is no hope for humanity, imo.

downsides? I feel like vomiting.

Thing looks scared, a familiar feeling.

If there is justice, Ms. Arsenault would have the hound.