Police confirmed Tuesday that the dog left inside an SUV stolen Feb. 2 from downtown New Canaan has been returned.
Poppy of New Canaan
Poppy, a 2-year-old French bulldog, “has been found and safely reunited with her owner,” according to a press bulletin issued by New Canaan Police Lt. Marc DeFelice, the department’s public information officer.
The Range Rover, left running with the dog inside, was stolen around midday that Sunday from Main Street near East Avenue, police have said.
The vehicle is still missing, DeFelice confirmed.
It isn’t clear just how Poppy was found. Her owner had posted fliers on social media offering a reward of thousands of dollars.
When the thieves fled with Poppy in the speeding Ranger Rover, police tried to stop them but were forced to give up the chase once the vehicle sped northbound on the Merritt Parkway at Exit 38 “in accordance with state law,” New Canaan Police said.
The case remains under active investigation, DeFelice said in the bulletin.
Poppy had been reported returned safely late last week, according to rumors, social media and news outlets citing unofficial sources. The news of Poppy’s theft was shared widely on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, whose users voiced concern for the dog as well as anger at her owner for leaving the animal in running car.
Like other lower Fairfield County communities, New Canaan has seen a rise in stolen vehicles, including brazen daylight thefts where criminals are targeting models including Range and Land Rovers. Car thefts doubled in New Canaan in 2024, officials have said, and in nearly all cases keys had been left inside unlocked vehicles.
If anyone has any information in regard to this incident, please contact New Canaan Police Investigations Section at 203-594-3521.
First of all, thank goodness Poppy was found and is safely back home.
It’s been interesting to see this story unfold over the last week. Especially in various social media comments sections.
Some fault the police for not doing more to stop the thieves.
Some fault the owner (and car theft owners in general) for leaving their car unlocked, even more so for leaving it running.
Some get very defensive on behalf of the owner if anyone suggests leaving their running car unlocked was maybe a bad idea.
Some get defensive at the suggestion that it is the stolen car owners who need to change their behavior (vs the police doing their job “better”).
Some get upset at even discussing anything other than finding the dog.
Some get upset at politicians because there are laws preventing our police department from chasing car thieves at high speed and outside the town lines (aka police jurisdiction).
Some get upset that we don’t have more police officers to handle the rise in car thefts, which in-turn gets others upset that more taxpayer dollars are needed to do that.
That’s a lot of people arguing and getting upset.
All I know is car thefts are up, and that’s presumably because it’s easy to steal cars here.
If we can’t even talk about this issue as a community without triggering a bunch of finger pointing, I think we’re going to have a hard time solving this problem.
Well said, Andrew. Frustrating on many levels. $20 AirTags might help the police locate a dog or car. It’s cheap insurance. Some states have made it illegal to leave a car running or unlocked and our town council could pass such an ordinance, make New Canaan less of a target.
Well said, Andrew. It boggles the mind that people leave their cars unlocked and running, and object when someone says that if they just turned them off and locked them, their car would not be stolen and the problem of car thefts in New Canaan would essentially be solved. Common sense, people.
Look…if you care about your personal possessions, it’s kind of indefensible to leave your car unlocked and running. That said, I doubt this person ever dreamed their car could be stolen in such a brazen manner. It’s unsettling to know that opportunists walk among us and would attempt such a risky heist. I don’t know whether the solution is air tags, ordinances, or a greater police presence in certain spots, but I do know that everyone needs to have their collective antennae up and not be the least bit hesitant to report any suspicious activity to the authorities. Many hands make light work.
Agree with the three gentlemen writing above here. It is impossible to get through to naive people who thoughtlessly think they are immune to anything happening to them. Perhaps police could fine these people, on site, who cause so much trouble and the lesson would be learned. Publicly notify New Canaan residents that if the car is left unlocked this will happen to them.
Do the police send out an APB to surrounding areas when they are chasing a stolen car?
But, please, tell us how Poppy came to be returned! And was the award paid to the finder? Was Poppy still upset over his ordeal?
Thanks for keeping us informed.