Animal 411

Police K9 Dog ‘Apollo’ To Retire After 10 Years of Service

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The New Canaan Police Department’s K9 dog, a German Shepherd from Washington state who came here in 2015 to help apprehend suspects, find missing people and sniff out drugs, is set to retire, officials say. Apollo “was deployed numerous times” during his last full year of service, NCPD said in a press release, including one memorable instance where he helped officers find “an individual suffering from a mental episode.”

“This individual had jumped from the second floor of their residence and with the assistance of K9 Apollo and other emergency services the individual was located near a stream,” the press release said. “Recently, K9 Apollo was deployed to a neighboring town, where there was a possible suspect hiding inside someone’s residence while they were away. K9 Apollo successfully located the suspect hidden in the attic of the residence and was taken into custody on scene.”

Fed by local retailer Pet Pantry Warehouse and handled since last year by Officer Sebastian Obando, Apollo joined the department as an 18-month-old. He participated in community events and demonstrations until 2017, when his former handler went on extended medical leave and the animal entered specialized boarding.

Animal 411

‘Everything and Anything Is To Be Expected’: Springtime Wildlife in New Canaan [Q&A]

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With warmer weather finally arriving, New Canaan is seeing changes in the behavior of its wildlife, as well as the types of species that residents can expect to encounter with spring’s official start on Tuesday. We put some questions about the changes to Office Sean Godejohn, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section. Here’s our exchange. ***

New Canaanite: We’re getting some warm days this week. What kind of new wildlife should New Canaanites expect to start seeing?

Animal 411

Missing Collie, 12, Is Found Safe on Thursday Afternoon [UPDATED]

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Update 3:30 p.m. Thursday

Dash Murray has been found in the woods, muddy but OK, and safely returned home. Original Story

The owners of a 12-year-old collie are asking for help after he went missing around 7:30 a.m. Thursday on Carriage Lane, behind West School. Dash is very friendly and though he is wearing an invisible fence collar, there’s no ID on it, according to his owner, Chip Murray. The dog did go missing once before in January but was located quickly near Frogtown Road, Murray said. Dash is chipped and the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section has been notified, he said.

Animal 411

New Canaan Police and Fire Team Up To Rescue ‘Roscoe’ the Cat, Reunite Him with Local Family

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New Canaan’s emergency responders teamed up Sunday to rescue a cat and return him to his home. At about 8:22 a.m. on March 3, New Canaan Police Officer Kelly Coughlin was called to the lobby of the department’s temporary headquarters downtown on a report of a found cat, according to an incident report obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a public records request. There, Coughlin learned that town resident Gail Hart turned in an orange cat that had become stuck up a tree in the area of Mariomi Road near Hickok Road, according to the report. Members of the New Canaan Fire Department rescued the animal, which Hart thought might be hers since she’s missing an orange cat, the report said. But it wasn’t—the rescued cat was “long, bigger than average and looked well taken care of,” Coughlin said in the report.

Animal 411

Black Bear Sighted Tuesday on Ludlowe Road Property

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A black bear was seen Tuesday night on an eastern New Canaan property that had already seen a bear on it this year. In March, a bear was seen on Ludlowe Road, apparently attracted to a bird feeder, officials have said. On Nov. 27, a black bear was photographed at the same residence—the first reported sighting in New Canaan since a bear was seen in Irwin Park in August. A bear and four cubs also had been spotted on Valley Road in June.