Allyson Halm

Local Woman Ticketed (Again) for Off-Leash Dogs

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Police this month issued a $136 ticket to a local woman for violating a town ordinance regarding off-leash dogs in public places. New Canaan resident Amanda Coulon has incurred hundreds of dollars in fines for allowing her dogs off-leash in areas that include the high school and Waveny. She has said in the past that she doesn’t believe in the town’s dog leash ordinance. Under Section 6.8 of the Town Code: “Except in a dog run established by the Town, no person shall bring any dog into any public park, public playground, public school grounds, public parking lot, public street or sidewalk unless the dog is on a leash or lead that is no more than 25 feet in length and under the control of its owner or keeper at all times.”

Asked about the most recent incident, Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm said Coulon appeared on the morning of Nov. 10 (a Thursday) near the gravel parking area between the Spencer’s Run lot and kids’ soccer fields at Waveny.

Animal 411

‘I Don’t Think He Likes Pugs’: Local Woman Calls for Separate Large- and Small-Dog Areas at Spencer’s Run

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Saying her pug was attacked twice in the dog run at Waveny, a local woman last week asked parks officials to consider creating separate “large” and “small” dog areas within Spencer’s Run. Kathryn Quirk told members of the Parks & Recreation Commission last week that her 1-year-old pug is “very friendly and she’s great with the other dogs and this one dog just jumped all over her and was very vicious” on two separate occasions. “Fortunately my husband was there and he was able to grab her,” Quirk told the Commission during its regular meeting, held Nov. 9 at Lapham Community Center. “He’s done this twice and I’ve watched him do it to another dog on a different day and I’m sort of reluctant to take her there now,” she said.

Allyson Halm

PHOTOS: Wild River Otters in New Canaan

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Adam Biren had been living in his house on the Noroton River in southwestern New Canaan for about five years when he saw an animal along the water that looked like a small dog with a long tail. It was this past summer when the family of five river otters first showed up. The animals swim around fishing in the river, run along the side of the waterway, “frequently jumping out and getting back in,” Biren said. “My three kids love watching the otters and run to our back windows to observe whenever they make an appearance,” he said. Though most residents of Connecticut rarely see wild river otters because the species avoids contact with humans “the state’s river otter population is healthy and stable,” according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. 

“Otters are active all year and they are generally nocturnal or crepuscular (active at dawn or dusk), although diurnal activity is not uncommon,” according to the DEEP.

Animal 411

New Canaan Animal Control: Coexisting with Black Bears

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With the recent black bear attack of a 10 year old child in Morris, Conn., New Canaan Animal Control wanted to take this opportunity to restate some of the basic guidelines for coexistence with bears. Black bear sightings are becoming more common in New Canaan year round so the more we know about them the safer we can be. Black bears are the least dangerous bear species in North America, and there have been only 67 fatal attacks by black bear on humans in the last 120 years. They generally avoid interactions with humans and retreat from conflict. An important fact is that a bear’s sense of smell is seven times greater than a bloodhound.

Animal 411

New Canaan Animal Control: Look Out for Increased Deer Activity This Fall

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The head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section is urging residents to be aware of increased wildlife activity this fall. With the mating or “rutting” season approaching, Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm said residents should be aware of deer on the roads and woods. “Keep an eye out for wildlife that is being displaced,” Halm told NewCanaanite.com. “There will be a lot more road crossings, for sure.”

Halm said four deer were spotting crossing Marvin Ridge Road on a recent morning and that “the anxiety level rises in the wildlife” this time of year. 

Part of the reason is that the archery deer-hunting season is underway. 

“There will be hunters in tree stands,” Halm said. The shotgun-rifle-revolver season for deer-hunting on private land runs Nov.