Two of New Canaan’s highest elected officials are at odds over the condition of the facility that police use to house stray or seized domestic animals.
Selectman Nick Williams said Tuesday that the building New Canaan Police Department long have used as an animal shelter, a non-insulated former incinerator building at the dump, is not “worthy” of the town.
“I think the ‘town pound,’ if you will, is dark and dank,” Williams said during a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, adding, “We could do better.”
First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said, “I wouldn’t characterize it as dark and dank.”
Williams said, “Have you been in there?”
Moynihan answered, “I went over and looked at it.” He added, “The key is, it’s used very little but it’s humane.”
Williams introduced the topic toward the end of the selectmen meeting, held via videoconference, during a section dedicated to general comments. He referenced a widely discussed neglect case which last month saw police seize 12 dogs from a Butler Lane home following a months-long investigation. The town has petitioned state Superior Court to take formal ownership of the animals. A 48-year-old woman on Sunday turned herself in on an active warrant for three counts of felony cruelty to animals connected to the case (a hearing on the ownership petition is scheduled for Tuesday).
“Unfortunately and tragically, it seems that we have had an illegal puppy farm in town,” Williams said. “Which is a horrible story. Kevin, about a year ago, I had raised the issue of the Animal Control facility at the Transfer Station.”
Williams referred to comments that date back two years, when he said the shelter not suitable to house dogs and other animals, calling it a “dump within a dump.” He broached the issue again one year ago, and Moynihan pushed back on a proposed public-private partnership to create a new shelter, calling for further study as to how New Canaan will operate a shelter long-term.
Williams on Tuesday asked whether that study yielded any results.
Moynihan said that the Western Connecticut Council of Governments—a membership organization of 18 towns known as ‘WestCOG’ that helps municipalities collaborate in areas such as transportation, housing and open space—is conducting a study “about doing regional Animal Control consolidation with towns working together.”
“So that study is ongoing and [New Canaan Animal Control Officer] Allyson [Halm] has been participating in that,” Moynihan said. “But I think what we currently have is humane and it’s not used very often.”
Asked about WestCOG’s Regional Animal Control study, the organization’s deputy director, Michael Towle, told NewCanaanite.com in an email that it’s designed to “identify a variety of potential regional solutions” such as small partnerships, shared facilities and shared resources.
“We at WestCOG perform these studies to understand the extent of the benefits that can be realized (or potential shortcomings) to inform our member elected officials to make informed decisions,” Towle said. “New Canaan is especially active in this process as their Animal Control Officer, Allyson Halm, is a member of the Study Committee.”
The study now is in the data-collection phase and WestCOG is on track to issue a report in March, he said.
The former Town Building Evaluation & Use Committee in its December 2017 report said that the shelter is “adequate, if basic” and that “a location that provided office space for the Control Officers, as well as an outdoor run, would be an improvement.”
Thanks to the generosity of a local Girls Scouts Troop, the facility has seen some upgrades in recent years, including the purchase of a dryer and fencing to create a “meet-n-greet” pen out front. In 2017, a failed heat pump forced a temporary closure of the building.
Public Works Director Tiger Mann when asked about the facility told the selectmen that its roof will need to be replaced.
“We just put in a new heating system in there with temporary heat, yesterday [Monday] to make sure they get through the winter with no problem,” Mann said. “And Allyson was there for the installation as well as the fire marshal, so they were satisfied with what we did to raise the heat through there.”
Williams asked whether there are any other town buildings that could serve as an Animal Control shelter.
Mann said, “We might have other areas where we can place them [animals] temporarily but nothing suitable as of yet rises to the top, where we say ‘Let’s move them in there permanently.’ ”
Williams asked whether all the dogs rescued from the Butler Lane residence are in the shelter now. Mann said, “Some of the dogs are housed there, some are housed elsewhere.”
A study? Seriously?
The building is solid, except for the roof? Doesn’t take much imagination, or money, to freshen it and make it a suitable temporary spot for New Canaan’s lost pets and at worst, the rare situation we are now in. Ask the public to help insulate and spruce it up and quit the squabbling.
I agree with Deb 100% ! There is no reason for this to be an issue in this town. Don’t drop the ball, Nick!
The place is disgusting. I saw first hand how horrible it is a about a couple weeks ago when I had to go pick up my neighbors dog that got out. The place looks dirty I would not put a plant in that place. Moynihan must not care about animals lives it seems. Our town deserves a lot better and money needs to be shifted from things that are not a priority so we can rebuild the pound. How often the place is used is not an excuse not to rebuild it.
I would invite Mr Moynihan to spend 24 hours there – with a blanket and a pillow. We will deliver food twice and leave him a gallon of water –
I was horrified when my dog had to go here for two nights quarantine, it is not suitable for our furry family members. I know I am no longer a tax payer in New Canaan, but I just remember my feeling when I had to leave my dog there. It was terrible.
We love our pets, but I haven’t heard any outrage over the mal-functioning toilet rooms at the Police Station … during a pandemic. First things first.
Are you saying the town should hire a plumber to rebuild the Animal Shelter?
The toilet rooms in the police station are not in proper working order, where our large and well paid police force spends 24-7.
Given that, it’s not surprising that the animal shelter is not in proper working order.
Repair the police station toilets (at a minimum) and repair the animal shelter. New Canaan should stop the municipal disinvestment.
And Mike, just to be clear, it doesn’t have to be the same repairmen. I’m sure the Town can match the appropriate repairmen to the task.
Time for priorities, do we add to the debt for a library or fix the shelter and police station? I know where my vote would go. We need to resolve the issues with the core infrastructure that is owned and supported by taxpayers. The shelter needs attention immediately as well as the Police station. And no, we can’t have it all and drive up even more of the debt. We as a community need to make some choices.
Licensed pets are a source of revenue. Where do those fees (and fines) go? Surely, this is not a money issue. Live animals, especially dogs, have feelings. They are not as dumb as some of the people who keep them. Allyson Halm does a great job. She should have a decent holding facility. We came to New Canaan over 40 years ago, but now spend much of the year in Florida, so I don’t have a vote, but I would be happy to contribute.It should also be possible to get help from local pet retailers in the form of things like food donations. There is nothing that can replace the unconditional love from a house pet. The elected braintrust of the Town might do something about this if dogs and cats could vote. C’mon, Tiger. (Mann). Somewhere in that vacuum you can figure out a place to put them (the pets, that is).
Thank you for loving and caring about the welfare of New Canaan dogs and cats Nick Williams and Allyson Halm. With all of the other animal lovers in this town, I’m sure something can be done in a timely manner with the current town shelter.
Thanks to Selectman Nick Williams for continuing to shine a light on this. I thought the idea for a public-private partnership was a great one and would be thrilled to support such an endeavor, as I’m sure other residents would as well.
Nick is absolutely correct.
We need a real functioning animal shelter and functioning bathrooms in the police station before we spend $29000 on curbs to show off the stadium at New Canaan High School. I think someone should start looking at why that is even on the budget at this point in time.
Thank you Allyson Halm for taking care of our furry family members.