More than one driver reported a “beaver” on the roadway at the intersection of Weed Street and Marshall Ridge Road, and the animal was enough to stop Weed Street traffic in both directions.
When police approached the animal, it moved off the road, and it didn’t appear to be injured. Town Animal Control Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt said she wasn’t at this scene and didn’t see the animal herself, but most reports of “beavers” are woodchucks.
If there’s no body of water close by, it’s extremely unlikely that an animal that someone reports to police is actually a beaver, she said.
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A resident of Forest Street, not far from its intersection with Heritage Hill Road, reported at 9:44 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, that a bat in the house was killed by a resident.
The dead bat was taken to a state laboratory in Hartford for rabies testing (it wasn’t rabid). Bodies of animals that come into contact with people or their pets are commonly tested for rabies.
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A dead raccoon was found under seating at Connors Field behind Saxe Middle School, 468 South Ave., and reported to police at 7:51 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9.
For this animal, as with other dead animals where there is no known contact with humans or their pets, the body was not taken to the state laboratory in Hartford, just double-bagged and disposed of at the town transfer station, Kleinschmitt said.
Injured wild animals will be dispatched by a police officer and also taken to the transfer station, she said.
“The faster you can get a sick animal out of an area, the faster you get rid of potential rabies,” she said. Rabies can stay alive for a couple of hours after an animal dies, she said.
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A loose chocolate-colored Laborador retriever was found to be roaming near the intersection of Smith Ridge Road and Country Club Lane at 8:36 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 7.
By 9:52 a.m., the dog was picked up by police and returned to its owner on Indian Rock Road with an infraction ticket.
At 2:56 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 9, the same dog was reported roaming in the same area. The same kind of infraction ticket was given to the same owner.
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Other animal calls include:
A white dog on the roadway near the intersection of Main Street and Harrison Avenue at 5:35 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9. It was reunited with its owner. When a dog with proper tags is found and the owner is close by, New Canaan police typically will hand the dog over to the owner, Kleinschmitt said.
A dog reported to be roaming 2:07 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7 at Kiwanis Park. Police took the dog into custody, but gave it back to the owner, a resident of Willowbrook Lane (a nearby street), with a warning that the dog must be vaccinated and licensed by Aug. 18.
A dead deer was reported at 5:16 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5 near 111 Sleepy Hollow Road.
I have an observation regarding the article about recent roaming dogs in New Canaan. One dog is found roaming near the intersection of Smith Ridge Road and Country Club Lane, was returned to its owner on Indian Rock Road along with an infraction ticket.
On the other hand, another dog was roaming without current tags (unlicensed and not vaccinated), taken into custody, but was returned to its owner, with no infraction —- the owner just received a warning that the dog must be vaccinated and licensed by Aug. 18.
Why was one owner given an infraction and not the other?
According to our code’s Enforcement and Penalty for roaming dogs: “The provisions of this section may be enforced by infractions issued by any police officer or Animal Control Officer. Any person violating this section shall be fined $90 for each offense or the maximum amount allowed for infractions as set forth by the State of Connecticut Superior Court infractions schedules.”