News

Police See Higher-Than-Usual Number of ‘Delinquent’ Dog Owners

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Police say they’re seeing a higher-than-usual number of “delinquent dogs”—animals whose owners have failed to register them with the town. Normally, the deadline for the state-mandated licensing of a dog or renewing an existing license is July 1. This year, that deadline was extended to Aug. 1 to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, the town currently has 655 delinquent dogs, according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section. 

The Town Clerk’s office has sent out renewal notices and reminders, and now Halm is following up, she said.

Brutal Doodles: New Canaan Dogs Bite Census Worker, Two Others

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Details of these recent dog bites in town follow a request for information from Officer Allyson Halm, head of the Animal Control section of the New Canaan Police Department. ***

Two Chichester Road dogs have finished a home quarantine after biting a U.S. Census taker who’d come onto their property. On the afternoon of Sept. 17, a golden doodle and Lagotto Romagnolo—an Italian truffle-searching breed—bit the man on his backside and arm, according to police. He sought medical assistance at an urgent care facility. 

The dogs finished a mandatory 14-day quarantine at home Oct.

Allyson Halm

Animal Calls: Raccoon Shot, Dog Struck by Car, Rabid Bat

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What follows is a rundown on recent animal-related police calls. Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section, provided information when asked about these cases. ***

The Devonwood Lane owner of a Great Pyrenees dog on Sept. 5 was issued a $92 ticket for allowing a dog to roam. It’s the third time this year that the same dog has been found roaming and its owner cited for the infraction-level violation (Feb.

Animal 411

Animal Control: Leave Your Dogs At Home

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Police are urging residents to keep their pets cool and safe amid yet another sustained heat wave this summer. Residents can be seen running with their dogs at Waveny or along South Avenue “and I don’t think they realize how hot that pavement is,” according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department. “It is so unnecessary and dangerous,” she said. “It’s OK the early morning or maybe in the evening If it cooled down, but definitely not in the heat of the day. And dogs don’t cool like we do, so you don’t realize that when a dog is lagging behind, they are saying ‘stop.’ ”

The National Weather Service has plated the area under a Heat Advisory through 8 p.m. Wednesday, saying “hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur.” 

“A Heat Advisory is issued when the combination of heat and humidity is expected to make it feel like it is 95 to 99 degrees for two or more consecutive days, or 100 to 104 degrees for any length of time,” the organization said.

Animal 411

Police Seek Owner of Cat That Scratched Human

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Police say they’re seeking the owner of a cat found in the area of Husted Lane, near the Locust Avenue parking lot in downtown New Canaan. The domestic short-hair tabby “accidentally scratched a New Canaan resident” Friday, according to a press release from the New Canaan Police Department. She’s being quarantined until the owner is found, the press release said. The cat is a female tricolor with a distinct black collar with cross bones and skulls, police said. Dogs and cats must undergo a state-required quarantine for when they bite or scratch humans while off-property.