Authorities on a recent afternoon issued written warnings to the owner of a Bernese Mountain Dog-Poodle mix (or “Bernadoodle”) after the dog bit a local man in a nature preserve in western New Canaan.
The July 24 bite occurred in the New Canaan Land Trust’s Watson-Symington Preserve off of Wellesley Drive, according to Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm. According to the Land Trust’s website, dogs are only allowed off-leash from “sunrise to noon, provided that dogs are under strict voice control, stay on-trail, and stay within 25 feet of their human.”
In this case, two dogs were off-leash after noon and one of them charged the man and bit in on the right thigh, prompting Halm to issue written warnings for off-leash and nuisance dog. The man who was bitten sought medical attention, Halm said.
Here are other recent animal-related incidents in New Canaan:
- On the morning of July 27, a child at Camp Y-Ki in Kiwanis Park touched a bat hanging from a tree near the swimming hole, Halm said. The silverback bat was lethargic and she was able to capture the mammal and send it to a state laboratory for rabies testing, which came back negative, she said.
- Also on July 27, a “Lhasapoo” (mixed Lhasa Apso and Poodle) bolted past a nanny and dog walker at the front door of a Carter Street home and bit a FedEx deliveryman, prompting Animal Control to issue a verbal warning.
- Finally, at about 11:39 a.. on July 28, a leashed dog broke away from a man who was walking the animal near Town Hall on Main Street and tried to attack another canine. The man walking the aggressor dog fell and required 11 stitches in his knee, while the other dog, though leashed, broke away from its owner, Halm said. Both dogs were re-secured and uninjured.