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.

Allyson Halm

New Canaan Animal Control: Mind Your Dogs Amid Heat, Fireworks

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As temperatures soar into the 90s this week and the Fourth of July approaches, the head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section is urging residents to be mindful of their dogs. Officer Allyson Halm patrols New Canaan parks regularly and said she gets “very concerned when I see people taking their dogs out at noon and throughout late afternoons.”

“They really need to think twice,” Halm said. “Dogs should be walked in this heat in the morning and evening. Fresh water should be available. Do not leave your dog in the car no matter what.

Allyson Halm

Black Bear ‘211’ Seen Killing Fawns in New Canaan Thursday, Friday

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The head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section is urging residents to be vigilant of a black bear that’s been seen killing and eating newborn fawns in the northern part of town this week. Though the bear marked with orange tags no. 211 hasn’t caused real trouble for people yet, “we really need to discourage people from stopping and photographing him,” according to Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm. Residents if they encounter the bear instead of capturing images of the animal should “haze him, throw things at him, anything, otherwise he will get himself in trouble,” Halm said. On Thursday morning, police spent about two hours watching the bear after the animal had trapped a young fawn near a bus stop on Logan Road, Halm said.