Animal 411

Dog Bites Child on Elm Street

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A local dog bit a juvenile on Elm Street on a recent afternoon, prompting authorities to issue a 10-day quarantine for the animal, records show. At about 4:45 p.m. on March 31 (a Friday), a curly brown-haired dog lunged as two kids ran by a man walking up Elm Street, according to an incident report obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a public records request. Shortly after the incident, the juvenile discovered that they’d been bit, drawing New Canaan Emergency Medical Services and police to the scene, the incident report said. It wasn’t clear at the time whether the dog in question was up-to-date on its rabies vaccination, according to the incident report, written by NCPD Officer Rodger Hamilton. The juvenile’s family declined medical treatment, the report said.

Allyson Halm

Animal Control: Officials Rescue Goose Entangled in Fishing Line [PHOTOS, VIDEO] 

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Following the rescue of a Canada goose this week, the head of New Canaan Animal Control is urging residents who fish to make sure they’re not leaving fishing line around ponds. 

With invaluable help from Chris Santopietro of Geese Relief, New Canaan Control Officer Allyson Halm said a goose that had become entangled in a line during the April 15 fishing derby at Mill Pond—and was unable to fly as a result—finally was secured on Tuesday on a nearby property. Officials were able to free the goose of the fishing line and the bird flew away on its own (see video above), fortunately uninjured, Halm said. “We know this is a very well-attended and important event but we do want to emplhasize that fishing line is one of the serious killers for our widlife that reside around ponds,” Halm said. She added, “The officials that organize the event are conscientious and they were aware of the goose that got hooked at the derby. They tried to free it but the line snapped.”

Halm said that over the following 10 days, she received several calls from concerned residents about the goose with a fishing lure visibly stuck to it.

Allyson Halm

New Canaan Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm To Retire

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The head of Animal Control in New Canaan for the past eight years, Officer Allyson Halm, is set to retire this summer, officials say. The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved the hiring of Sean Godejohn as her successor in the New Canaan Police Department position. A graduate of Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury, Godejohn holds an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Naugatuck Valley Community College, according to his resume. He’s worked since 2015 as animal control officer for East Haven, and did the same job in Waterbury before that, his resume said. Halm is to remain in her position during a transition period, she said, and will retire around mid-July. 

Asked how she’s feeling about that prospect, Halm said, “I am working on it.

Allyson Halm

Black Bear Sighting on Ludlowe Road

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New Canaan’s Animal Control officer is urging residents to be mindful of unintentionally leaving food sources out in their yards after a black bear attracted to a bird feeder was spotted on a Ludlowe Road property late Tuesday. The bear sighting is the sixth reported so far 2023, all of them on the east side of town, according to Officer Allyson Halm. 

In a perfect world, bird feeders “should be put away at dusk or put on a pulley system so you can raise them away from a bear’s reach, far away from the house, if possible, because if a bear gets curious—and they are curious—and there’s food and a back door open, that could be a problem,” she said. “It goes for any type of food source. It’s really important not to feed your dog or cat outside and to understand that a bird feeder will attract them, as will chickens and beehives.”

The last series of black bear sighting reports that Halm received were up on North Wilton Road in January, she said, and in those cases the animals appeared to be attracted to garbage bins. The bear sighted on Ludlowe this week likely was a young male seeking to establish his “territory,” Halm said.

Animal 411

Multiple Black Bear Sightings on North Wilton Road

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Following multiple sightings in town this week, New Canaan Police are reminding residents that bird feeders, compost and garbage cans left out will attract black bears. A black bear was seen on North Wilton Road at about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to Animal Control Officer Allyson Halm, and then two more were seen together on the same road in northeastern New Canaan on Wednesday afternoon. She urged residents to have hazing tools on hand, such as horns that make loud noises, and bear spray. “Knowledge about hazing is important and please do not feed bears,” Halm told NewCanaanite.com. 

She added, “A fed bear is a dead bear.”

Halm’s tips on coexisting with black bears include:

Do not hang bird feeders on porches, decks or patios. Take bird feeders in at dusk.