Animal 411

Dog vs. Dog Fight Unfolds after Invisible Fence Breach

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A New Canaan homeowner has vowed to install a physical fence after his or her dog managed to get past an invisible one and tussled with another canine, police say. It happened in the area of South Avenue at Brooks Road, according to New Canaan Police Animal Control Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt. At about 6:17 p.m. on March 15, a woman was walking her dog past the house when the dog, a pit bull, got through its invisible fence and “there was a dog versus dog,” Kleinschmitt said. Neither dog was injured, she said, partly because “a passerby was there and she was able to get the dogs apart by kicking one of the dogs out of the way.”

The owner, who was home, didn’t realize the dog had gotten past the invisible fence made the decision to put up a physical fence on his or her own, Kleinschmitt said. The pit bull owner was cited for nuisance dog, allowing a dog to roam and failure to license a dog, she said.

Animal 411

New Canaan Police: Injured Red-Tailed Hawk Slows Traffic on Parkway, Dies

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An injured red-tailed hawk slowed traffic on the Merritt Parkway southbound near Exit 37 at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, New Canaan police say. The bird—a small hawk, according to Animal Control Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt—was found in the roadway itself, suffering with a missing eye and broken wing. A Connecticut State Police trooper had contacted Kleinschmitt’s unit for assistance in removing the animal. “It was on the highway and they were concerned that people trying to avoid the bird would create a problem, so I went and picked up the bird,” Kleinschmitt said. Sadly, the hawk died from its injuries within the hour, as Kleinschmitt was bringing it to a veterinarian who specializes in birds, she said.

Animal 411

New Canaan Police: Coyotes Dwell behind Norwalk Armory

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New Canaan police believe three new reported sightings of a “coywolf”—cross between an eastern wolf and western coyote—are the same animal. Animal Control Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt also said most of the coyotes in this area live in the wilderness behind the Armory right on the New Canaan-Norwalk line, off of Merritt Parkway Exit 38. “They run around back there, and a month from now the females will give birth so that the males become lone hunters,” Kleinschmitt told NewCanaanite.com. “That’s the only time the coyotes den, is when they’re giving birth, and then it’s a 10-mile radius for them to find food.”

Though the high season for coyotes generally doesn’t arrive until the weather is a bit warmer and females give birth, frequent sightings are popping up all over New Canaan. The coyote pictured at right was spotted off of Evergreen Road on Thursday (March 13).

Animal 411

New Canaan Police: Deer Put Down after Misstep, Impaling

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New Canaan police put down a deer that had become impaled on a Weed Street fence, likely due to the ice and snow on the ground, officials say. Officers were dispatched at about 8:43 a.m. Friday to the area of Weed Street between Knapp and Ash Tree Lanes. There, Animal Control Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt said, they found a deer stuck on a fence. “I had to dispatch the animal and get help getting it off of the fence,” she said. “Normally a 4.5-foot fence would not be a problem for a deer, but because of the ice and snow, I’m sure, the animal wasn’t sure enough to hop the fence,” she added.

Animal 411

New Canaan Police: Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round Aloof Dog-gies [VIDEO]

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via YouTube

Saying the assumption that all dogs are good mixers can lead to bites for both canines and humans, New Canaan police are advocating for a new “yellow ribbon” system in town. Under the system, owners of nonsocial dogs would tie a yellow ribbon or bag around their dog’s leash or collar—see demo video above from Animal Control Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt. [Note: The dog in this video is a sweet, socialized pit bull mix that is up for adoption. Duchess is four or five years old and seeking home—she was found at South School.]

“Too many times you have children walking and they see what they think is ‘a cute little dog,’ and a 5- or 6-year-old is walking ahead—this way a parent can spot that yellow ribbon and call the child back so the child doesn’t get bitten,” she said. What sometimes happens, Kleinschmitt said, is that dogs will lunge at cyclists or joggers to “jump and bite.”

“Not every dog has biting potential, but for those that don’t like other people, does it mean that they should not be able to walk that dog?