Animal 411

Mama Black Bear and Two Cubs Seen Thursday in New Canaan

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A mother black bear and two cubs were seen Thursday morning on a Father Peters Lane property, officials say, raising new concerns about the animal’s presence here. A mom with her young ones “could be a little more protective” than black bears normally are, according to Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm. “We certainly want to keep our distance but do make noise and try to get them to move along quickly,” she said. “And if you see any animals please call in your dogs.”

Halm has said New Canaan is seeing an increasing number of black bears appear each spring. The first reported bear sighting of 2021 came in June, on Briscoe Road.

Animal Control

Selectmen Approve Animal Shelter Agreement with Local Vet

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Town officials last week approved a lease with a local veterinarian for the temporary housing animals that are lost, abandoned or otherwise come into possession of the Animal Control section of the New Canaan Police Department. The Board of Selectmen voted 3-0 at its Sept. 21 meeting to approve the lease between the town and DBL-P, LLC, more commonly known as New Canaan Veterinary Hospital on Vitti Street. The three-page lease allows police to house animals at the vet at $50 per day per animal. “It’s kind of like a Plan B for us, right now,” Police Chief Leon Krolikowski told the selectmen at their meeting, held in Town Hall and via videoconference. 

“The shelter is adequate, but if a condition comes up where we believe it is not adequate due to the weather or some other circumstance, like when the water line broke several months ago, then we would be able to use this facility for our animals.

Around Town

‘He Plays with the Poop Bags’: Verbal Warning Issued to Spencer’s Run Dog Owner 

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Police this month issued a verbal warning to a Norwalk woman following an altercation at the dog run in Waveny. According to the complainant—a Stamford man—the woman at about 8 a.m. on Aug. 1 (a Sunday) had confronted him at Spencer’s Run and “was being rude and aggressive toward him, stating he has a black heart,” police said in an incident report. The woman, who has a dog named ‘Tate’ “has been creating a disturbance at the dog park for several weeks,” according to the incident written by New Canaan Police Officer Sebastian Obando and obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a public records request. The complainant met in the lobby with Obando and Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm on the morning of Aug.

Allyson Halm

‘She Did a Great Job’: Local Caretaker Rescues Injured Heron

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An injured heron is recovering at an area animal hospital thanks to residents and police who rescued the bird in southeastern New Canaan earlier this month. Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm said she began receiving reports Aug. 16 about an injured heron in the area of Stoneleigh Road. A woman who cares for a property there that includes a pond told Halm that one of the heron’s toes appeared to have been severed and that the bird had been hanging around for a few days, she said. With instructions and a net from Animal Control, the caretaker paddled a canoe out to an island in the pond and managed to capture the heron—the birds are considered dangerous and their beaks need to be held shut when handled, Halm said.

Allyson Halm

Mountain Lion Sighting Reported on White Oak Shade Lane

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Just a few weeks after a reported mountain lion sighting on Hoyt Farms Road, a couple about two miles south on Sunday morning told authorities that one of the big cats walked through their back yard, officials say. The White Oak Shade Lane couple “saw what they described as a large brown feline with a long tail” and confirmed that it was a mountain lion and not a bobcat when asked to compare photos of the separate species, according to Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm. “I believe this was a credible sighting,” she said. The couple did not capture a photo of the animal. Mountain lions have been known to travel through Fairfield County in the past.