New Canine-ites

Meet Bruno and Winston, Born Four Days Apart

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For this installment of “New Canine-ites,” we caught up with a pair of new residents, puppies Bruno and Winston Bratches, in front of Family Britches on Elm Street, where a small crowd had gathered to admire them. Newly arrived from the same kennel in New Hampshire, the Labrador retrievers were born four days apart, said mom Patty Bratches. (Bruno is the black lab, Winston yellow.)

The family decided to get the dogs after losing two 15-year-old yellow labs, she said. Asked where New Canaanites can expect to meet the pups, Bratches said: “We’re socializing them all over town. We’re not dog park people, so we will socialize them all around town.”

“They will be at Family Britches all the time,” she added with a laugh as staff members at the Elm Street store joined the crowd on the sidewalk, admiring Bruno and Winston.

New Canine-ites

Arusha the Chow Chow: Has a Boyfriend, Facebook Page

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Arusha the Chow Chow—an ancient Chinese dog described as typically “reserved and discerning with strangers,” according to the AKC—is an unusual example of the breed, and a terrific dog to profile for this feature, New Canine-ites. That’s because for her entire 3.5 years, she’s gone to work with owner Shawn Webb, store manager at Ten Thousand Villages. “She’s been hyper-socialized since she was a puppy,” Webb said on a recent afternoon from the shop—open since November on the corner of East Avenue and Main Street—as Arusha relaxed at his side. “Both my prior job and here, she went to work with me every day, so she would meet 10 to 20 new people every day,” Webb said. “Most Chow Chows are not that way and are only loyal to their owner, and not really outwardly friendly.

New Canine-ites

Charles the Borzoi, New Canaan Resident, Loves Lamb

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We caught sight of a Borzoi, or Russian wolfhound, as the leashed animal and its owner walked up Elm Street near Ralph Lauren. Gregory Melnitsky, a Moscow native who speaks excellent English with a thick accent, has had Charles (or “Sir Charles,” Melnitsky said) since puppyhood. Charles hails from Nebraska originally, Melnitsky said. A PhD who immigrated to the United States 25 years ago, Melnitsky said he’s lived in Connecticut for his entire time here. He’d lived in Westport while running a construction mixing materials laboratory for a Fairfield-based company, and moved to New Canaan three years ago.

New Canine-ites

Jagger the Husky Knows Where New Canaan’s Cookies Are

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[Editor’s Note: This is the second installment of ‘New Canine-ites,’ where we profile our local dogs. Last week, we met Beaufort the Newfoundland on Elm Street.]

Jagger the 5-year-old husky was named after Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger “because he’s a rock star,” owner and New Canaan resident Amy Mackimm says with a laugh on a recent afternoon on Elm Street near South Avenue. “He’s very mellow and friendly,” Mackimm told us of Jagger, who came from a breeder in Maryland. “A laid back personality, especially for a husky.”

Jagger’s favorite places to go in New Canaan include Waveny—both Spencer’s Run and the trails—and “he loves to walk in town and get dog treats over at Benefit,” Mackimm said. “And then there’s cookies over here by another store,” Mackimm said, nodding up Elm Street.

New Canine-ites

Beaufort the Newfie Stops Foot Traffic on Elm

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Our first dog (or “New Canine” resident, you might say) featured here is Beaufort, a 3.5-year-old Newfoundland. Owner Leslie Kammerer, a New Canaan resident, told us on a recent afternoon as Beaufort earned oohs and ahhs (and awws) on Elm Street that the big lug has been working as a certified therapy dog at Norwalk Hospital for the past 18 months or so. Acquired as a birthday present to Kammerer from herself, Beaufort is a “very well-trained dog,” she said. “I spent probably more money on the training than I did on the dog. He’s like a fine piece of Tiffany jewelry, but never mind,” Kammerer said in a southern drawl.