Redding Answer Book
Redding Answer Book: Pets and Animals
Nov 10, 2005

Where do I get a dog license?

The town clerk in town hall sells dog licenses. Dogs should be registered in June; if you neglect to register, there is a $1 fine for each month of delinquency. Call the town clerk’s office (938-2525) for details. Not licensing your dog can result in a $60 fine.

Dogs six months and older must be licensed. A current rabies certificate is required. For a reduced cost, proof of the animal being spayed or altered must be shown. The cost is $19 for an animal that has not been spayed or altered, and $8 for an animal that has.

Are there rabies clinics in the area?

Redding usually holds a low-cost rabies clinic once a year, in April or May, at the West Redding firehouse. Pet owners should bring their pet’s previous rabies certificate to receive a three-year rabies certificate; otherwise, they will receive a rabies certificate for a one-year vaccination. The clinic is sponsored by the Connecticut Municipal Animal Control Officers Association. Call Animal Control Officer Michael DeLuca at 938-2525 for details.

Are there animal hospitals in town?

There are three veterinary hospitals in Redding: The Redding Ridge Veterinarian (938-8018) at 3 Meeker Hill Road; the Redding Veterinary Hospital (438-3761) at 235 Ethan Allen Highway (Route 7); and the Georgetown Veterinary Hospital (544-9098) at 53 Redding Road in Georgetown.

Is there a dog training school in town?

Canine College (938-2124), 40 Marchant Road and Good Citizen Dog Training (938-2951) offer classes in Redding. Paws Up Positive Dog Training (544-9033) is at 1 North Main Street in Georgetown.

My dog is lost; where can I get help?

Call Animal Control Officer Michael DeLuca at 938-2525.

What happens to loose dogs picked up by Animal Control?

They are taken to the Bethel Animal Shelter on Route 53.

What should I do if a loose dog is on my property, chasing my kids or cats?

Dogs must be confined to one’s own property or under control, such as with a leash, if off the property. If a loose dog (not your own) is on your property, call Animal Control Officer DeLuca at 938-2525.

Is it legal to allow a leashed dog to defecate on another person’s property?

There is no law regarding public property, but it is illegal to allow any dog to defecate on private property. Dog owners can be liable for a fine.

Where is a good place to take a dog for a romp?

Putnam State Park, at the intersection of Putnam Park Road and Black Rock Turnpike, Huntington State Park on Sunset Hill Road, and Topstone Park are popular places for people to bring their dogs. At Topstone, dogs are not allowed on the beach from May through September. All parks require dogs to be on leashes. Dog owners should clean up after their dogs. The town of Ridgefield offers the Bark Park, just for dogs, on Prospect Ridge and Hampton Court.

May cats legally roam on others’ property?

There is no law restricting cats, but they are required to have rabies shots.

Where can I adopt a dog or cat?

Cats may be adopted through the Animals In Distress Shelter, Danbury Road, Wilton (762-2006). Dogs and cats may be adopted at the ROAR Shelter, South Street, Ridgefield (438-0158); Connecticut Humane Society, 455 Post Road East, Westport (227-4137); DAWS-Danbury Animal Welfare Society (744-3297/daws.org); PAWS-Pet Animal Welfare Society, 504 Main Avenue, Norwalk (750-9572/pawsct.org); SOS-Save Our Strays, 1677 Post Road, Westport (255-0514); Paws-A-While in Bethel, 147 Grassy Plain Street (790-6511); Easton Animal Shelter (268-9172), 13 Westport Road, or the Bethel Animal Shelter on Route 53. Many area shelters list adoptable pets at www.petfinder.com.

My car hit a dog. What should I do?

Do not pick the animal up or try to help it. Injured animals often bite. According to the law, you must report it to the police (938-3400) and wait for them to arrive. They will contact Animal Control.

Whom may I call if my pet dies at home?

Most veterinarians will assist in sending a pet for burial or cremation. You may also call All Pets Crematory in Stamford (967-4949/ www.allpetscrematory.com), which offers a number of services and will come to your house to pick up your pet.

Where can I take my pet in an emergency?

The Animal Emergency Clinic of Danbury (790-6383) is at 22 Newtown Road, Danbury. It is open Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.; Saturday from 1 p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday morning; and 24 hours on most holidays.

The Veterinary Referral and Emergency Clinic at 134 West Cedar Street, Norwalk, is open 24 hours. Call 854-9960.

If your pet has eaten something poisonous and you can’t reach your own veterinarian right away, you can call the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline at 800-548-2423. It is staffed 24 hours, but there is a charge for services.

Are any animals illegal to keep as pets?

Generally speaking, people are prohibited from having as pets animals considered wild by the State Department of Environmental Protection. Call 860-424-3011 for more information.

Can I run a dog kennel at home?

No, under town zoning regulations kennels are not allowed in either residential or commercial areas.

Is there any limit on the number of domestic animals people may keep on their property?

Yes, there are different limits for different types of animals. Within one two-acre building lot, Redding property owners may keep up to five dogs, and up to two horses (and may add one more horse for each 0.8 acre of additional property).

Check with the health department (938-2559) about maintaining proper sanitary conditions on the property.

How about horses and livestock?

Residents may keep up to five goats, sheep, or pigs on one two-acre building lot, and may add one more for each 0.4 acre of additional property. In addition, up to 50 poultry birds (ducks, turkeys, chickens, etc.) may be kept on a lot; 10 more may be added for each 0.2 acre of additional property. Check with the health department (938-2559) on maintaining proper sanitary conditions.

Should I be concerned if I see a raccoon during the day?

Even healthy raccoons are active during the day, especially in spring and early summer when they are taking care of a family. If the animal is obviously sick (acting aggressive, circling, stumbling, acting disoriented or showing signs of paralysis) call the local police or animal control officer. In the unlikely event they cannot be reached and it is truly an emergency, call DEP Emergency Dispatch at 860-424-3333 to reach a local conservation officer.

I saw a coyote in my yard. What should I do?

Coyotes now live and breed in every town in Connecticut. They are extremely adaptable and comfortable living in close proximity to residential areas. They are usually not a threat to humans; however coyotes may attack pets, particularly cats. Rarely have there been reports of coyotes attacking small dogs.

Coyotes eat a variety of foods including rodents, birds, fruit, and berries and will also eat food provided by people including spilled bird seed, compost piles, pet foods, or unsecured garbage. If you live in an area frequented by coyotes and you have cats or very small dogs, your pets should be supervised while outdoors. Keeping pets indoors or limiting their time outdoors, especially at night when coyotes are most active, is recommended.

For more information, call DEP Wildlife Division, Burlington, at 860-675-8130 or the Hartford office at 860-424-3011.

Are there any groups that rehabilitate injured or sick wildlife?

Yes. Wildlife in Crisis (544-9913), under director Dara McDonough-Reid, helps rehabilitate orphaned, sick and injured wildlife. The organization welcomes volunteers and donations. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1246, Weston 06883.

Also in the area is Back to the Wild Rehabilitation (438-0618), run by Darlene Wimbrow.

Both are state-certified wildlife custodians permitted by U.S. Fish and Wildlife to rehabilitate migratory birds.

You may also call DEP’s emergency dispatch at 860-424-3333.

Is the town doing anything about the deer population?

Redding is a member of the 13-town Fairfield County Municipal deer Management Alliance, which works to find solutions to the size and destructive habits of the deer population.

The town also has its own deer committee, which, in its latest report cited three major problems related to deer density: a high incidence of Lyme and other diseases; a dramatic loss of forest biodiversity; and an increase in deer/vehicle accidents (63 deer died in accidents with cars in 2004, while the police recorded 152 deer-related calls).

The committee’s goals are to find a way to reduce the deer herd, educate residents about the need and the methods of deer management, and develop and implement a long-range deer management plan.

The committee has suggested hunting as the most practical means of deer population control. It is recommending an immediate herd reduction, by one-third, through a controlled hunt on town-owned and private land. An acceptable herd size is eight to 10 deer per square mile.

The Conservation Commission is involved in the process since it has jurisdiction over the town’s open space, and has taken up the deer committee’s recommendation.

There appears to be an abandoned fawn in my yard. What should I do?

Definitely do not touch it or move it as your scent will scare off the mother, who may be hiding nearby. Deer will leave their fawns for periods of time. Often, deer give birth in the middle of the night and leave the fawn during the day, particularly if people are around. The fawn’s camouflage helps protect it from predators.

If there is a dead doe nearby, the fawn may be orphaned. Call DEP at 860-424-3011, Wildlife in Crisis at 544-9913, or Back to the Wild Rehabilitation at 438-0618.

How can I keep deer from my yard and garden?

Call the state Department of Environmental Protection, wildlife division (860-424-3011), for suggestions.

Wire fences, at least eight feet high, may be an unattractive but effective solution. Planting flowers (daffodils vs. tulips) and shrubs that the deer find distasteful may be helpful although deer seem to be changing their eating habits, eating now what they would not have in the past. Chemicals that deer find distasteful may be sprayed on plants, but these aren’t always successful.

How can I get rid of nuisance animals?

Whether you have raccoons in the basement or bats flying around at 2 a.m., you can call  Ridgefield Wildlife Service at 431-9550, 24 hours a day.

Dr. Parker Gambino, an entomologist, will remove for free active nests of yellow jackets or hornets. Call 845-278-0267.

DEP’s wildlife division (860-424-3011) will offer advice and suggestions over the phone. The same information is available from DEP emergency dispatch at 860-424-3333.

Are any poisonous spiders or snakes here?

Nearly all snakes found around the home are perfectly harmless, and in fact, many are beneficial because of their appetites for rodents. Timber rattlesnakes and copperheads are the only poisonous snakes native to Connecticut and are found only in certain areas. They are rare, and their bites are rarely fatal unless one is allergic. They will bite only when threatened.

Black widow spiders are extremely rare. All spider bites are venomous to some degree. People bitten should save the spider and seek emergency help by calling Poison Control at 800-343-2722. The elderly, children, people with heart conditions, and pregnant women should be wary. Seek medical attention immediately when bitten by a snake or spider.

Call the state Department of Environmental Protection emergency line at 860-424-3333 for more information.

Where can I take riding lessons?

In Redding, call Sunset Hill Farm, 160 Sunset Hill Road (938-8709) or Whimsy Brook Farm (938-3760), 29 Giles Hill Road. The Park and Recreation Department (938-2551) offers lessons in conjunction with Sunset Hill Farm.

Where can I board a horse?

Sunset Hill Farm (938-8709) will board horses as will stables in neighboring towns.

Can I ride a horse in any public parks here?

Yes, people are allowed to ride horses inside Huntington State Park. The park entrance is off Sunset Hill Road; there is also a paved parking lot that will accommodate a truck and horse trailer.

Are there any good places for birding here?

Any open space or parkland is good for birding during the hours they are open. Check the Ridgefield Walk Book for locations; the BirdNotes column in The Press also has information on birding sites.

Wildlife preserves in the area include the Woodcock Nature Center on Deer Run Road in Wilton, 762-7280; Devil’s Den Preserve, Pent Road, Weston, 226-4991; Connecticut Audubon Center at Fairfield, 259-6305; New Canaan Nature Center on Oeneke Ridge Road, 966-9577; Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, 914-763-3993. Some 285 species have been seen at Sherwood Island State Park, Westport (226-6983).