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.

Animal 411

Animal Control Roundup: Dogs Bite People, Child Touches Bat

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Authorities on a recent afternoon issued written warnings to the owner of a Bernese Mountain Dog-Poodle mix (or “Bernadoodle”) after the dog bit a local man in a nature preserve in western New Canaan. The July 24 bite occurred in the New Canaan Land Trust’s Watson-Symington Preserve off of Wellesley Drive, according to Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm. According to the Land Trust’s website, dogs are only allowed off-leash from “sunrise to noon, provided that dogs are under strict voice control, stay on-trail, and stay within 25 feet of their human.”

In this case, two dogs were off-leash after noon and one of them charged the man and bit in on the right thigh, prompting Halm to issue written warnings for off-leash and nuisance dog. The man who was bitten sought medical attention, Halm said. Here are other recent animal-related incidents in New Canaan: 

On the morning of July 27, a child at Camp Y-Ki in Kiwanis Park touched a bat hanging from a tree near the swimming hole, Halm said.

Animal 411

‘Very Blessed and Lucky’: Pregnant Stray Cat Is Rescued, Gives Birth to Five Healthy Kittens

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The pregnant stray cat that local authorities and residents of the Vitti Street neighborhood have been trying to help gave birth Monday to a healthy litter of five kittens, officials say. Named ‘Elsa’ by Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm after she survived the heavy wind and rain storm with that name earlier this month, the young cat was finally caught two weeks ago and managed to survive thanks to a Warren-based rescue organization. 

Halm said she was feeling “very blessed and lucky that the stars were aligned the angels were watching.”

“This cat was very, very lucky to get off the streets,” she said. “And it’s probably her first litter because she is a young animal. And it will be her last litter, and kittens will be properly placed.”

The kittens “look fabulous,” Halm said. Elsa was not faring well during a state-mandated seven-day hold at the New Canaan Police Department animal shelter, Halm said.

Animal 411

Police and Residents Hope To Capture, Assist Pregnant Stray Cat

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Police say they’re hoping Wednesday to capture a pregnant stray cat that bit two residents last month. The cat, who may have been abandoned, first came to the attention of authorities June 21, when a Summer Street father and son concerned about the animal’s welfare tried to put her in a carrier and got bit, according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section. While the father and son underwent a series of rabies vaccines as a precaution, police tried to catch the cat and bring her into the town’s animal shelter for a period of quarantine, Halm said. That didn’t work, she said. The cat has since been living outdoors in the neighborhood of Cross Street and appears to be about one month pregnant, halfway through its pregnancy, Halm said.