According to Piscataquis County District Attorney R. Christopher Almy, the attack occurred in September 1999, at the home shared by Philip and Frank Buble. The 44-year-old Philip had just stepped out of the shower in the morning when his 71-year-old father attacked him, smacking him several times with a crowbar. Reason for the attack? The elder Buble was sick and tired of his son's lifestyle, in particular an ongoing sexual liaison with his dog. The son ran for help to a neighbor's, and was rushed to a hospital in Dover-Foxcroft, where he was treated for lacerations and a broken arm.

Frank Buble turned himself in to the local sheriff's department after the assault, according to the Bangor Daily News, and told authorities his son was driving him crazy.

The matter ended up in a court hearing. Frank Buble put a finger to his hearing aid, to better understand the proceedings. After a plea arrangement was negotiated between attorneys, his plea was changed from not guilty to guilty on charges of attempted murder and elevated aggravated assault. The maximum sentence was 40 years in prison for both counts, but the district attorney recommended 18 years total, with 13 years suspended and the remainder of the time on probation.

Frank Buble and his lawyer would not comment after the hearing, but Philip Buble spoke freely to local reporters. The younger Buble used the term "zoo" to describe a person who possesses a deep and passionate love for animals.

"I'm the first out-of-the-closet 'zoo' to be attacked because of my sexual orientation, so they have no precedent to gauge how a jury would react," Buble explained to the Daily News. "This attachment is often in preference to humans, and the relationship can develop to be a sexual one."

He added that his father shouldn't have to spend time in prison, but "he needs serious therapy."

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