Black Bear and Four Cubs Sighted on Valley Road

Police say a black bear was sighted on lower Valley Road last Thursday afternoon with her four young cubs. 

The 4 p.m. sighting on June 1 is the first reported in New Canaan since March 21 on Ludlowe Road, also in the eastern part of town. “It is important for residents to be aware that bears will be roaming through New Canaan routinely,” Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm said. “Bears will avoid conflicts with humans, however in search of food they will venture closer to homes. Bears are attracted too, garbage cans, bird feeders, chickens, compost, gardens, bee hives and many more food sources. Hazing tools should be at the ready.”

The adult bear spotted last week had been collared and tagged as part of the state’s tracking program.

‘A Happy Ending’: Dog Dumped in New Canaan Finds Forever Home

A young dog that apparently had been dumped last month on a cul-de-sac near the Country Club of New Canaan has found her forever home, officials say. Residents of the area started reporting sightings of the skittish dog to Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm on April 8, the Saturday of Easter weekend, she said. “No one could get near it,” Halm told NewCanaanite.com. “It would run just at the sight of them.”

The dog could be seen lying at the end of various driveways in the neighborhood, but as soon as anyone approached, she would bolt. Seeking to get the animal into a routine, Halm set up feed bowls and a trail camera, and found that the dog was emptying them regularly. After about one week, Halm set up a large Hav-a-Heart trap.