Animal Reports: An Opossum Enters a House, a Peacock Comes Home

A Dog and a Note

A man walked into the unlocked house at the SPCA of CT, 359 Spring Hill Road, March 17 and left a dog there with a note saying the owner was in the hospital and would come for her dog when she was able to, according to the report.

The SPCA filed an abandoned dog complaint at 11:32 a.m. and police charged the man with simple trespass and released him with the $92 fine.

Dog Count at SPCA

The Animal Control officer assisted the town zoning enforcement officer with an inspection at the SPCA of CT at 11:28 a.m. March 23 to determine how many dogs were living on the property. According to a court order, the animal rescue organization must be down to 29 dogs by April 30.

There were 61 dogs there, down from 86 in January, police said.

Opossum Makes Itself at Home

A opossum entered a house on Applegate Lane at 6:31 Thursday morning. Police captured the animal and released it on the property, according to the report.

Police said there was no contact nor exposure and that no testing was required.

As of Thursday morning, Monroe Animal Control had yet to speak with the homeower.

A Peacock Comes Home

The peacock that had gotten loose on Old Coach Road returned home on March 27, according to its owner.

Prior to its reported capture it had been seen in a backyard on Osborn Lane, in two yards on Ripton Ridge Road on March 24 and March 26, and in the roadway on Walnut Street on March 26.

A Cat Rescue

A woman rescued her cat Tuesday after it had gotten stuck in a storm drain at Moosup Terrace. She had called police to report the incident at 7:11 that morning before managing to save her pet.

Sick, Injured Raccoon

A Fan Hill Road resident reported seeing a sick and injured raccoon in the roadway at 1:49 p.m. Wednesday and Animal Control officers found it 4:27 p.m.

There had been no exposure and no testing was required. The raccoon was euthanized and removed from the property without incident.

Animal Control Officer Ed Risko said it was probably the same raccoon spotted in a tree in the daytime on Deer River Lane . Risko said raccoons usually do not climb that high up (about 60 feet). A boy waiting on his bus stop saw the animal being attacked by crows, according to the report.

A Sick Skunk

A sick and injured skunk was seen in a yard on Bob White Terrace at 5:17 p.m. Wednesday.

Police said there was no contact nor exposure to the sick animal, which was euthanized and removed from the property without incident.

Fatalities

The carcass of an opossum struck by a vehicle on Purdy Hill Road was removed from the roadway on March 23.

Another opossum was found dead under the front steps of an Old Newtown Road residence the same day.

Other animals struck by motor vehicles over the past week included a stray cat on Cross Hill Road and a woodchuck on Cutlers Farm Road.

Lost & Found

A seven-year-old tiger stripe cat was reported missing by a Patmar Drive resident at 12:15 p.m. on March 23. On Thursday, police said the feline was still missing.

A lost Great Pyrenees named Sam Tan was found by his owner on Wheeler Road on March 23.

A Newtown woman who reported her Siberian Husky missing on March 23 has since been reunited with her dog.

A Patmar Lane woman who lost her Beagle Tuesday recovered her pet without incident. However, she was issued a written warning for failure to license her dog.

Roaming Dogs

Police responded to seven roaming dog complaints over the past week. The reports included:

A stray brown dog officers were unable to locate in the 400 block of Wheeler Road on March 22.

A black lab retriever with a pink collar on Fan Hill Road at 10:17 a.m. on March 23. The owner, a Diane Drive woman, was issued a written warning for a roaming violation.

A large, off-white curly coated poodle in the 300 block of Barn Hill Road at 2:25 p.m. on March 23, which officers were unable to locate.

A Boston Terrier in the 100 block of Guinea Road. Monroe Animal Control found the owner through a computer search. He was issued an advisory notice for a roaming dog and picked up his pooch.

A roaming dog seen on Hammertown Road at 1:03 p.m. Wednesday was held by a passing motorist. Its owner was identified and given a notice of impound.

She redeemed her dog for a $15 fee and was issued a verbal warning for roaming and a temporary license was issued.

A German Shepherd and a large black dog were seen running loose on Summer View Drive Tuesday afternoon. Police were unable to locate the dogs.

A German Shepherd was seen in the street on Jockey Hollow Road at 2:56 p.m. Tuesday. Officers were unable to find the dog.

Failure to License

Six written warnings for failure to license a dog were issued to pet owners over the past week. Animal Control must enforce this through state statute.