Two Coyote Sighting Reports on Running Brook Lane [MAP UPDATED]

[Editor's Note: Patch has expanded its nascent "Animal Reports" feature to include coyote sightings, more detailed information on Animal Control Unit calls and a chart marking deer vs. motor vehicle collisions. New Canaan Patch accouPnt-holders who can supply more information to police and neighbors are encouraged to post in the comment thread below.]

Coyote Sightings

See the interactive map above for recorded instances of coyote sightings reported since last fall to the ’s Animal Control Unit. Click on individual icons on the map for the date of the reported sighting.

“If you have a small animal, either a cat or a dog, you need to know if there’s a coyote in the area to keep it safe,” Animal Control Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt said. “If you can get it inside by 4 p.m. that is far safer. That [domestic cats and small dogs] is what is attracting [coyotes]. They’re a food source.”

Any resident that spots a coyote should call New Canaan Police to report it, at 203-594-3500.

Lost Dog

See the attached “lost dog” notice on “Skye,” a 1-year-old, 45-pound female golden retriever who on April 14 got away from his owner at Spencer’s Run in , ran across Lapham Road and into the woods there—and hasn’t been seen since. Please share this article and photo on Facebook and on Twitter to get the word out. According to Kleinschmitt, the dog had been wearing a green collar and may have found her way through the woods to the railroad gantry that crosses over Route 106, between Talmadge Hill and New Canaan stations.

Animal Calls

Here’s a summary of calls responded to in the past week by the New Canaan Police Department Animal Control Unit. Information is supplied by the town’s animal control officer:

• Labrador retriever returns: April 16, 2:18 p.m. Ponus Ridge & Greenley Road—Officers were called to the area on a report of a yellow Labrador retriever roaming (“labs” are the most-popular dog breed in the nation, according to the AKC). It had already gone back onto the owner’s property by the time police arrived.  
• German shepherd dog is licensed, returned home: 2:19 p.m. 73 Charter Oak Drive—A German shepherd dog was secured by a homeowner. Animal Control Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt knew the dog, which was licensed. “If your dog is licensed, I can help you better because I will know your dog,” Kleinschmitt said. Dogs that are found roaming that are licensed and registered with the town do not need to be taken in by Animal Control when they’re picked up—they can just be returned to their owners. Come back to New Canaan Patch for information on the June 1 re-licensing period for dogs in town, with a how-to for owners. If residents see a roaming dog, they should report to the police department (call 203-594-3500), who will take in the animal if it is secured.
• Deer struck, DOA: April 17, 7:52 a.m. 1279 Smith Ridge Road—Officers responded to a report of a deer that had been hit by a car and was dead when police arrived.
• Barking dog: 11:07 a.m. 123 Garibaldi Lane—Police received a report of a barking dog. Police require two weeks of documentation from complainants (a “barking dog log,” Kleinschmitt called it) to kickstart the process for addressing complaints. Two laws in New Canaan represent “nuisance barking.”—a state statute (CGS 22-363) and a town ordinance. The latter requires proof that a dog has been noisy in the evening hours when it’s not inside, and can carry a $75 fine for owners.
• Coyote sighting: April 19, 1:22 p.m. Lapham Road and Old Stamford Road (Route 106)— Police received a call reporting coyotes in the area.
• Cat scratches child at Kiwanis: April 20, 9:30 a.m. 75 Old Norwalk Road—Officers received a report that a cat had scratched a child in the play area at Kiwanis Park. The cat was found and is now in quarantine for the required 14 days. The animal’s owner is known and was notified, police said.
• Raccoon up a tree: April 21, 12:21 a.m. 241 Park St.— Police responded to a call that a raccoon was spotted up a tree at Mead Park. “It’s a perfectly healthy animal,” Kleinschmitt said. “They go up and down [trees].”
• Struck deer, DOA: 9:58 p.m. Frogtown Road and Hanford Lane—Officers responded to a report of a struck deer. The animal was dead when police arrived.
• Roaming poodle impounded: April 22, 12:18 a.m. 165 Weeburn Drive— Officers responded to a report of a dog that had been picked up near this address, and impounded the animal. It turns out the owner—of Norwalk—had called in previously to report her missing dog, a poodle.

Deer vs. motor vehicle collisions

Here’s a chart that tracks deer vs. motor vehicle collisions in New Canaan. The chart does not include deer struck on New Canaan’s portion of the Merritt Parkway—those incidents are overseen by Connecticut State Police and New Canaan Patch hopes to have them for next week’s installment of “Animal Reports.” The column marked “Result for deer” indicates whether the animal was dead on arrival by New Canaan police (“DOA”), put down by officers because it was alive and suffering following the accident (“put down”) or managed to run away (“ran away”):