Animal 411

Bobcats Seen on New Norwalk and Beech Roads

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A new photo of two bobcats casually standing on the deck of a New Norwalk Road home has town officials concerned about the animals’ welfare. 

Taken at a residence near Route 123’s intersection with Carter Street, the photo of what appears to be an adult bobcat and kitten indicates that “they are way too comfortable getting that close to a dwelling,” according to Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm. “I have real concerns and I want to put it out there that feeding the wildlife is wrong and dangerous and sort of a death sentence for these creatures,” Halm told NewCanaanite.com. “We cannot have them hanging out on a deck.”

She added, “I have real concerns that people are feeding these cats and that is a big mistake.”

The homeowner who took the photo is not feeding the bobcats, Halm said. That homeowner said the animals weren’t scared away even by an air horn and “just sauntered off” when usually hazing techniques were used, she said. Separately, home surveillance video on nearby Beech Road captured a bobcat walking past the residence before dawn Monday, according to footage shared by the homeowner. 

Bobcats began to appear with more frequency in New Canaan around 2014, and since then Halm has said she’s seen what appear to be families of bobcats establishing dens here.

Allyson Halm

Unvaccinated ‘Shih-Poo’ Bites Police Officer 

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A Shih Tzu mix whose rabies vaccine had expired bit a police officer in a Cross Street apartment, records show. Officers around 8:11 a.m. on Sept. 25 (a Saturday) were responding to a noise complaint at 16 Cross St. when a small white dog—a Shih Tzu-poodle or ‘Shih Poo’ mix named Kokbe—began barking at them “making it difficult to hear anyone speak,” according to a police incident report obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a public records request. “I then attempted to usher the dog towards a bedroom so that it could be confined and separated from us,” the officer’s incident report continued.

Allyson Halm

Lab Mixes Fight in Spencer’s Run

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A pair of neutered mixed-breed Labrador retrievers fought at the Waveny dog park on a Monday afternoon two weeks ago, records show, sending one of them to an animal hospital. 

At about 3 p.m. on Sept. 27, Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm received a voicemail from the victim dog’s owner about the incident, according to a case report obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a public records request. 

According to the Stamford woman, she and her husband entered the park with their two-year-old dog, Ragnar, and leash-walked him toward the back of the park, Halm said in the incident report. There, they came across a Darien man with Jack, a one-year-old, the report said. The woman told Halm that “the two dogs began to sniff and interact” when Jack started growling and the fight broke out, the report said. The owners separated the animals, but Ragnar had already sustained an injury to his right ear, which was bleeding, the report said.

Animal 411

Mama Black Bear and Two Cubs Seen Thursday in New Canaan

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A mother black bear and two cubs were seen Thursday morning on a Father Peters Lane property, officials say, raising new concerns about the animal’s presence here. A mom with her young ones “could be a little more protective” than black bears normally are, according to Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm. “We certainly want to keep our distance but do make noise and try to get them to move along quickly,” she said. “And if you see any animals please call in your dogs.”

Halm has said New Canaan is seeing an increasing number of black bears appear each spring. The first reported bear sighting of 2021 came in June, on Briscoe Road.

Allyson Halm

‘She Did a Great Job’: Local Caretaker Rescues Injured Heron

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An injured heron is recovering at an area animal hospital thanks to residents and police who rescued the bird in southeastern New Canaan earlier this month. Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm said she began receiving reports Aug. 16 about an injured heron in the area of Stoneleigh Road. A woman who cares for a property there that includes a pond told Halm that one of the heron’s toes appeared to have been severed and that the bird had been hanging around for a few days, she said. With instructions and a net from Animal Control, the caretaker paddled a canoe out to an island in the pond and managed to capture the heron—the birds are considered dangerous and their beaks need to be held shut when handled, Halm said.