BRUNSWICK — Police charged former state Sen. Stan Gerzofsky on June 6 for two offenses after his dog escaped his fenced-in backyard and bit two passersby on separate occasions.

Gerzofsky

Gerzofsky’s 4-year-old German shepherd, who the Federal Street resident said was a “re-home” dog for which he had hired a trainer, managed to leap over the 6-foot fence both the evening of June 5 and morning of June 6, he said.

“He is an escape artist extraordinaire,” said Gerzofsky, who was charged with two counts each of allowing a dog to be at large and keeping a dangerous or nuisance dog.

Gerzofsky is running against Democratic House Rep. Mattie Daughtry for state Senate District 24.

Police Commander Mark Waltz couldn’t divulge the extent of the two people’s injuries, but said they were not life threatening, and no ambulance was called. Police had issued Gerzofsky a warning in January for his dog being off his property and out of his control.

Gerzofsky has voluntarily given up the dog, which he’s had for two years, to the Midcoast Humane Society. The dog has been quarantined and had its rabies shots,Waltz said.

Worried for the canine’s future, Gerzofsky said the dog “has really come a long way, done a lot. He’s very trusting, except if he gets out, he gets scared, he gets nervous,” since he hadn’t associated with other dogs and people prior to his time with Gerzofsky.