Allyson Halm

Police: Leashed Dog Bites New Canaan Boy, 12 [UPDATED]

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Update 12 p.m. July 15

The dog has been identified and has up-to-date vaccinations. Officials say the boy had been walking on a trail along Old Norwalk Road located near the park. Original story 2:15 p.m. July 14

Police are seeking help identifying a dog that bit a New Canaan boy Monday evening in the area of Kiwanis Park. At about 6:30 p.m. on July 13, a medium-sized black dog on a leash bit a 12-year-old boy, according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section. 

A woman described as white and middle-aged with light-colored hair was leash-walking the biting dog and another one, said to be medium-sized  and colored gray and black, Halm said in a press release. The situation is “time-sensitive,” she said.

Animal 411

Police Advise Residents To Avoid Waveny Trails, Tall Grass Areas After Coyote Bites Woman Thursday

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Police are urging Waveny visitors to avoid trails and areas of tall grass Thursday after a coyote bit a woman walking her dog there in the morning. At about 6:30 a.m., a woman was bit in the backside by a coyote near the walled garden east of Waveny House, according to police. Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section, said it’s unclear at this point whether the coyote is sick or was exhibiting “escorting” behavior while denning. “If it’s a den situation, I’m not sure where it is,” Halm said. 

She’s patrolling the park today and warning walkers to be alert. The woman who was bit declined to undergo medical treatment but is seeking medical advice, officials said.

Allyson Halm

Black Bear Sighted in New Canaan As Wildlife Activity Increases [UPDATED]

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[Editor’s Note: As indicated in our captions on the bear photos, we heard from a 12-year-old New Canaan resident who asked us to name the animal ‘George.’ In an email sent Monday, Leo Mikkola-Patel wrote, in part, “I am a twelve year old writing from quarantine and I think that in these crazy times people would appreciate some humor in their lives.” Asked how he chose the name ‘George,’ Leo said it’s his friend’s name.]

Animal Control officials are urging residents to be aware of wildlife following the sighting Sunday morning of a black bear in New Canaan. 

The sighting on Woodridge Circle, the first of the year as spring gets underway in earnest, coincides with a rise in coyote, fox and snapping turtle activity, according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department Animal Control section. 

New Canaan has seen black bear activity each spring for the past several years. The bear likely was a young male looking for new territory, Halm said. “We know bears love birdseed, so we encourage people, especially this time of year, to bring the birdseed in or have a pulley system to pull it up high,” Halm told NewCanaanite.com.

Allyson Halm

Police Fine Local Woman $408 for Off-Leash Dogs

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New Canaan Police last month assessed more than $400 in fines to a local woman who has been cited repeatedly for allowing her dogs to roam off-leash on public property. The most recent incident occurred on Feb. 8 (a Saturday) at the New Canaan High School track, according to an incident report obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a public records request. Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section, said in the report that a woman reported the incident to authorities in a voicemail received the following Monday, and that she recognized the dogs as belonging to town resident Amanda Coulon. Coulon “has been issued infractions four times for violating the Town Ordinance in parks throughout town,” Halm said in the report.

Animal 411

Restraining Order Issued for Biting Labradoodle

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Police last month issued a restraining order regarding the future handling of an Orchard Drive dog after the animal bit someone for at least the third time in four years. The Labradoodle, ‘Bodie,’ bit a young girl on the right calf on a Sunday last month, according to an incident report obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a public records request. The girl was bit after she entered the home Feb. 2 with her mother and siblings, and the child  “did not share the incident until they were leaving and back in their vehicle,” according to the incident report of Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section. The victim’s mother contacted police the following day.