Callie the 208-Pound English Mastiff: Not a Big Eater

Sometimes when we spot a candidate for our “New Canine-ites” feature—where we fetch a mini-profile of a local dog—it’s all we can do not to drive off the road. That was the case on a recent afternoon when we spotted Callie Cardon, a massive, brindle English mastiff, walking along Forest Street. At the other end of the leash was dog-walker Brenda Costigan, who puts Callie’s weight at 208 pounds and age at about five, calls the big girl “as sweet as can be.”

“She loves children,” Costigan said. “She’s very gentle. She’s just lovely.

New Canaan’s Most Popular Dog Breeds; Licensing Deadline Monday

Monday, June 30 is the last day that New Canaan dog owners can license their pets with town without risking a late fee. State law requires that all dogs six months old (or older) be licensed in the town in which they reside. Proof of current rabies vaccination is required. More information is available here, including the registration form. In all, 2,924 dogs were registered in New Canaan for the 12-month period that ends Monday, according to Animal Control Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt.

Bodhi the Golden: Summers at the Vineyard

We spotted this happily panting golden retriever at Irwin Park, and approached the pair at the other end of the leash for this installment of “New Canine-ites,” our profile series of New Canaan dogs. The golden’s name is Bodhi, he’s five years old, has always been with New Canaan’s Tabah family and loves running and playing fetch, Issy Tabah told us. She just graduated from The Taft School and is headed to Middlebury in the fall—congratulations. Asked what else he likes to do, Issy said: “We have a red 1969 Mercedes [convertible], and he loves riding around in that.”

Her friend Justin Lebec of Wilton (also a Taft student, a junior), added: “He’s very personable. He gets distracted a lot.”

Though he does frequent Spencer’s Run at Waveny, the family spends its summers on Martha’s Vineyard, so Bodhi has a second home there and loves swimming in the sea, Issy said.

Cleo the Chihuaua: Sniffing New Canaan in Advance of Move to Town

Diana (pronounced DEE-anna) Demirjian is moving from North Stamford to New Canaan in two months. She was downtown on Pine Street this week—specifically, she said, to acclimate her 18-month-old Chihuahua, Cleo, to what soon will be her hometown. ‘Cleo’ is short for ‘Cleopatra,’ as Demirjian said: “We just wanted to give her a name that was as big as her personality, but that didn’t necessarily have anything to do with her body size.”

Sounded like a good candidate for “New Canine-ites,” so we probed further. Asked how much advance scouting in New Canaan she’s doing for Cleo, Demirjian said: “I’m walking around here right now because of her. Because I figure there’s a lot of smells and things to keep her attention occupied, and to make her feel social.”

Cleo’s vet is Dr. Paul Potenza at New Canaan Veterinary Hospital—where the staff knows a thing or two about caring for Chihuahuas—and the little dog eats Merrick wet food, Wingaling and Smothered Comfort, as well as dry food, Demirjian said.

Phoebe the German Shepherd: ‘There’s a String from My Heart to Her Heart’

We met Phoebe Feiner and her mom, Karen, while talking last Friday to the owners of newly opened Sorelle Gallery on Main Street. They came in together—and we soon found out that Karen, who works in the area, brings Phoebe with her to work and is by the dog’s side at pretty much all times (except when the sitter comes to take Phoebe home for dinner, served at 5 p.m. sharp.)

The New Canaan resident was kind enough to talk to us about Phoebe, who is a 13.5-year-old German shepherd, for this our “New Canine-ites” series where we profile local dogs. Karen is able to articulate what many New Canaan dog owners feel about their pets, so we’re transcribing our exchange here in full. New Canaanite: So Phoebe is 13 years old, you said. Karen Feiner: She’s my fifth German shepherd—and I’ve had more than one at a time, so I don’t want you guys to think I’m 50,000 years old here.