AUGUSTA – With the bizarre testimony of Parkman zoophile Phillip Buble still fresh in their memories, the Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee on Thursday voted unanimously to make bestiality a criminal offense punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and court-ordered psychological counseling.

In a 30-minute diatribe last month, Buble, 44, told the committee of his passionate and sexual love for his dog, Lady. He said his love was so fervent that if the law passed, he would be forced to leave the state with his dog.

On Thursday, committee member Pat Blanchette of Bangor begged the committee to make the vote unanimous, to smooth the way for passage of LD 1283 in the House and Senate. No one needed an arm twisted in a work session that lasted about 45 seconds. Many bills are discussed for more than an hour during work sessions. The bill is given excellent chance for passage in the House and Senate.

The law to criminalize bestiality was removed from the books by mistake in the 1970s.

Privately, the committee members admitted they were appalled at Buble’s testimony, which included his religion and philosophy supporting zoophiles or zoosexuals who express sexual love for animals. During the public hearing in March he said he and his dog “live together as a married couple. In the eyes of God, we are truly married.”

Zoophiles do far less damage to animals than those who eat animal flesh, hunt animals and allow medical experiments which torture animals, Buble told the committee.

Committee member Sen. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville, called Buble’s testimony “absolutely disgusting.” Previously, committee House Chairman Edward Povich objected to the bill that he said would “bring police into the bedroom.” But he changed his mind and supported the bill on Thursday.

The Parkman resident became a regional celebrity during the trial of his father Frank Buble, 71, of Parkman. The father assaulted the son with a crow bar in frustration over Phillip Buble’s continuing sexual relationship with the dog. In March the father was sentenced to nine years in prison for the assault with all but nine months suspended.

In Dover-Foxcroft court on Tuesday, Buble was fined $50 for keeping an unlicensed dog. Sen. Davis also told the committee that Buble’s house was paint-bombed during the last week.

Rep. Lloyd LaFountaine, D-Biddeford, sponsored the bill because of “troubling stories which are too perverse to share,” he said. He said 24 other states have animal cruelty and bestiality laws to protect animals.

State officials told the committee that six reports of sexual abuse of dogs, horses and cows had been reported in the previous year. A national Internet network supports the practice of sexual abuse of animals. One site has 200 links and claims 46,000 visits per day, according to Don Harper, the director of the state Animal Control Association.

Shelly Doak, director of the animal health and industry division of the Department of Agriculture said the state receives 500 complaints annually of physical and sexual abuse of animals.

A recent essay by philosopher Peter Singer in the online magazine Nerve, which supported bestiality, drew angry editorials in the Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe and Weekly Standard newspapers and the New Republic magazine. Singer compared the negative reaction against zoophiles with racism.