Animal Control Center

Still Lacks Signs,

Phone, Internet

By Kendra Bobowick

The dog pound number 203-426-6900 has gone unanswered lately.

Residents who need to reach an animal control officer should dial 203-270-4355, the Newtown Police Department’s routine number. Still waiting on poles from CL&P so final fiber optic connections including the phones can be made, calls that once rang at the old pound near the landfill station are still not reaching the new facility below the Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard.

“Hooking up the phone and Internet at the animal control facility has been frustratingly slow,” said First Selectman Pat Llodra. The work was scheduled to be completed the week of Storm Sandy and has now been rescheduled for coming weeks, she said. “The task is for CL&P to install two additional poles for the wires to be carried to the building. All else is in place,” she said.

Town staff including Communications Director Maureen Will, Animal Control Officer (ACO) Carolee Mason, and Assistant ACO Matthew Schaub spoke briefly about the complication, one of several wrinkles evident since the new building — the Brian J. Silverlieb Animal Care and Control Center, located off Old Farm Road at the end of Trades Lane — opened during the summer.

Since doors opened and animals and staff relocated to the site, residents who are not familiar with its location have had trouble finding it. Director of Public Works Fred Hurley is working to get signs posted, he said this week. “They are going up shortly,” he said.

Loose ends aside, the new animal control building “is heaven to us,” said Ms Mason. She and Mr Schaub spent Wednesday morning handling supplies, working with volunteers, and responding to pet-related radio calls.

Without town phone service, she has been taking calls through the police department and her personal cellphone, she said.

Overall, the pound has been busy, they both agreed. Cats especially “are a constant,” Mr Schaub said. He sees “a lot of foot traffic,” each day from residents, volunteers, etc.

For both the animals and the staff, the new facility is “stellar,” he said. “It’s a better environment to be in.” Unlike the cramped space in the old pound and the noise and traffic from the transfer station just 30 yards away, he said, “The quietness and calmness are important.” New dogs to the shelter must first settle down before any training can begin. The new facility’s kennel spaces prevent fence fighting between animals in adjoining stalls, and the location is very quiet. Dogs settle in quickly, he said.

The staff “has an actual office now,” Ms Mason said. Both she and the dogs “are happier now.” The new facility and donated funds to supplement training and staffing is also a big improvement. Aside from town budget funds, the pound and animals are also the recipients of roughly $2 million bequeathed by two late residents. “That money is helping a lot,” she said. “It will go toward training to help dogs be more adoptable.”

Mr Schaub reminds prospective pet owners that pound pets “have lived a long time without you,” and people should be patient and expect an adjustment period as a dog becomes familiar with a new space, new people, new routine, etc. He also warns that the pound is not obligated to accept surrendered dogs from owners who no longer want their pets. The ACO staff will gladly offer references for trainers, but is not in place to take animals from owners who have had problems with the pets, Ms Mason stressed.

“It’s your dog, your decision to have a dog; you’ve got to try,” Mr Schaub said. He noted that dogs require time and attention, which owners should anticipate when they adopt, adding, “They are a responsibility.” He and Ms Mason advise that perspective pet owners need to consider their home environment, children, and other pets before bringing a new dog home.