Animal 411

‘We’ve Got a Serial Dumper’: Domestic White Bunnies Abandoned in New Canaan, Wilton 

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Police say they’ve seen a series of blue-eyed domestic white rabbits dumped in New Canaan and Wilton in the past two weeks. The five bunnies found between the two towns—most recently on March 24 in New Canaan—represent an “unusual” number of abandoned rabbits, according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section. 

“We’ve got a serial dumper,” she said. Though rabbits “are always dumped, the recent string appears to point to one breeder, since all of the animals are white with blue eyes, according to Halm. The bunny recovered most recently near the Grupes Reservoir in northeastern New Canaan “was very clean and still plump so we don’t think it was out long,” she said. It’s possible the rabbits are being raised as “meat bunnies,” meaning someone is breeding the animals to be eaten, she said.

Animal 411

Mountain Lion Sighting Reported in Southeastern New Canaan 

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After three reported sightings in New Canaan last summer, police last weekend received yet another a report of a mountain lion sighting in the southeast corner of town. The March 13 sighting, in the area of Old Rock Lane and White Oak Shade Road, just below the Merritt Parkway, appears to be credible, according to Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm. A New Canaan woman walking in the area saw the animal cross the street around Brookside Road and told police that it wasn’t a bobcat or coyote, Halm said. The woman who saw the animal was not able to capture a photo, Halm said. “She panicked a bit and froze,” Halm said, citing details from her conversation with the local woman on March 14.

Animal 411

Police Report: Oak Street Dog Bites Child

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A New Canaan dog underwent a quarantine that ended last month after biting a visitor at its owner’s house, police records show. The incident occurred on a Sunday in late January at an Oak Street home, according to a police case report obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a public records request. 

On Feb. 23, a child went to visit a friend at the residence and was bitten by a Bernese Mountain Dog after entering the home, according to the victim’s mother, cited in an incident report filed by Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm. The child was bitten on the right arm, hip and thigh areas, and afterwards was seen by a plastic surgeon, according to the report. The dog’s rabies vaccination was up-to-date, the report said.

Animal 411

Black Bear Sighting on Smith Ridge Road

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A black bear was spotted Sunday afternoon on Smith Ridge Road up near Grace Farms, officials say. While unusual this deep into the winter, the Feb. 13 sighting follows some unseasonably warm days last week that likely roused the bear from its slumber, according to Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm. When that happens, the bears are in a “torpor” state which is similar to a restless sleep, and will go back to hibernating, though not before searching for food, Halm said. “The concern I would have is, what is the food source?” Halm said.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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New Canaan Police at about 4:25 p.m. Monday received a report of a larceny at 16 South Ave., according to a call log. That’s the street address of the Mobil gas station. Asked about the incident, police said it involves a juvenile and is being worked out between the business owner and family. 

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A Stamford-based company, Case Study Brands, on Thursday presented a plan for Waveny House to the Board of Selectmen during a regular meeting. The company provided a broad sketch whereby Waveny gets a “luxury brand reflective of both its heritage and crown jewel positioning with the community,” with a new website and promotional materials, larger events and a staff “house director” whose responsibilities would include “concierge services.” The current online information for Waveny House lives in the Recreation Department’s area of the municipal website and “doesn’t feel glamorous” for what a bride is looking for,” officials from the company said. “It’s a little bit lacking in the glamour” compared to competitors such as the Roger Sherman Inn and Philip Johnson Glass House, they said.