New Canaan police ticketed two people who couldn’t get back out of the dog park at Waveny after someone had let them in.
Since last summer, Spencer’s Run users have been required to punch in a key code in order to enter the popular dog run—a measure that requires registration and was designed to cut down on irresponsible pet owners.
At about 3:58 p.m. on May 10 (a Saturday), police found a man and woman in Spencer’s Run who’d been let into the dog park with their black Labrador retriever by a key code-possessing user. A key code is required to get out of the park, too, so these two couldn’t escape, according to Animal Control Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt.
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Animal Control at 1:34 p.m. on the same day responded to a report of an injured baby goose on a Fawn Lane property.
The bird couldn’t fly, Kleinschmitt said, and the property owners who reported the struggling animal to police were given contact information for wildlife rehabilitators in the area.
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With the warmer weather and more people out and about with their dogs, the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control unit has seen a dramatic increase in the number of unleashed pets—mostly at Waveny and Irwin, Kleinschmitt said.
“We need to get people to understand that we have zero tolerance [for off-leash dogs] in our parks,” she said. “We have people parks, not dog parks. We have Spencer’s Run to allow off-leash dogs if you wish to.”
Here’s a rundown of some recent activity:
- 8:03 p.m. on May 6: A man with a Wheaten terrier off-leash at Waveny was issued an infraction summons, which he wasn’t happy about, police said.
- 9:52 a.m. on May 11: A dog owner with a boxer off-leash at Irwin Park was issued a $90 fine.
- 2:31 p.m. on May 11: A man became belligerent with police after they issued him an infraction at Waveny park for having his Australian shepherd off-leash, police said. The man—who claimed to be from Philadelphia—was playing Frisbee with the animal, police said.
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A spaniel mix found up at Valley and Colonial Roads at 11:03 a.m. on May 2 was impounded. Police found no microchip for the animal and it’s now up for adoption, Kleinschmitt said.
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Finally, police are waiting to get more information from a resident who says she’s concerned about the welfare of a dog on Forest Street.
According to Kleinschmitt, a dog at night is screetching and whining and the woman who called into police isn’t sure which house number the animal is at.
The original call about the dog’s noises came in at 3:55 p.m. on May 3.