A roaming rooster sought by authorities for nearly one week is in custody after an officer with the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section on Saturday afternoon collaborated with a North Wilton Road couple to corner the bird on their porch and net him.
Henry the rooster prior to his capture on North Wilton Road. The bird is expected to go up for adoption shortly. Photo published with permission from its owner
There appears to be a tag of some kind on the rooster’s neck and Officer Jillian Bosch said she’s hopeful it might yield some identifying information as soon as authorities can hold down the bird long enough to read it.
In any case, the rooster will be advertised for seven days and then put up for adoption, she said. Animal Control is hopeful that a center in Stamford may want the animal, Bosch said, “and if not, we’ll try and find someone who is experienced in taking care of roosters.”
That may prove difficult, at least in New Canaan. Part of the Town Code that recalls New Canaan’s agricultural roots, Section 6-2 prohibits the keeping of roosters “in such location that the crowing thereof shall be annoying to any person occupying premises in the vicinity.” A complaint filed with the town’s health director could lead to the bird’s removal “so that such annoyance shall cease,” and a refusal to comply with such order could yield a $200 fine or “imprisonment in a common jail or workhouse” for six months, under the Town Code.
Another look at the rooster called ‘Henry’ by a North Wilton Road girl. Photo published with permission from its owner
In any case, the rooster here has been named ‘Henry’ by the daughter of the couple that helped trap him.
“And she was very sad to see him go,” Bosch said. “She would have loved to have kept him but unfortunately she couldn’t.”
This all started last Monday, when Animal Control received a call from a different North Wilton Road residence about a roaming rooster.
The head of New Canaan’s Animal Control section, Officer Allyson Halm, caught up with the bird on Friday but was unable to catch him—and Henry eluded authorities for the next day or so.
“Unfortunately, for the first 30 minutes he was way too smart for me,” Bosch said of her sting operation at the North Wilton Road couple’s house around 2:30 p.m. Saturday. “As soon as he saw the net, he started squawking and yelling at me and knew we were trying to catch him.”
The bird had taken a keen interest in the residents’ young daughter, following and chasing her around, Bosch said.
“Typical rooster,” she noted.
The first strategy for catching the bird involved throwing Special K cereal, blueberries and sunflowers seeds into a crate, but Henry—though he got close—refused to enter the kennel, Bosch said.
“I and the two residents of the house were finally able to corner him against the house,” she said. “The first time he got away from us. The second time, he got away again. The third time, we were able to get him onto the porch and they blocked the kind of poles to the front yard on the porch and I went up the steps with the netting and was able to catch him with the net and pop him right into another carrier.”
Henry is now at the Animal Control shelter up at the Lakeview Avenue Transfer Station. It’s difficult to care for such an unconventional creature at a shelter, Halm said.
Those interested in adopting Henry out should contact Animal Control at 203-594-3510.
“Henry” seems like a very personable, entertaining and smart feathery guy! May some kind family adopt him, maybe with a cute little hen, and enjoy him.