Animal 411

Peeking behind New Canaan Dog Days

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On Sunday, New Canaan will see hundreds of town residents and their dogs descend on a cordoned-off portion Cherry Street for an annual, grassroots community event that organizers say is designed to celebrate our unconditional love for four-legged family members. New Canaan Dog Days—presented by our town’s owner-on-site pet store, Village Critter Outfitter, and local business Aetheria Relaxation Spa, both on Cherry Street—runs 12 to 3 p.m. on June 8. It benefits a pair of animal-focused nonprofits: STARelief, which provides life-saving pet food, veterinary care and medications to families in need with the goal of keeping pets out of shelters and in their homes; and PAWS, which rescues dogs and cats, offers shelter, takes care of medical issues and provides adoption services. Locally based event sponsors include New Canaan Veterinary Hospital, Bankwell, Fern’s Pet & House Sitting and NewCanaanite.com. To preview the event, we connected with Fern Pessin, who produces it, as well as Shirleen Dubuque, owner (and owner-on-site) of Village Critter Outfitter and Beth McCarthy of Aetheria Relaxation Spa.

Animal 411

Once Abandoned, New Canaan Puppy Señor Finds Loving Local Home

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The puppy that captured New Canaanites’ hearts after he was found abandoned and malnourished downtown two months ago has found a warm, loving local home. The 6-month-old Chihuahua—named ‘Señor’ by the staff at New Canaan Veterinary Hospital—has been adopted by a trusted family that’s local to the area and, importantly, he comes into the Vitti Street facility for daycare to be with his many loving caregivers there, according to Tina Socci, practice manager at New Canaan Veterinary Hospital. “That is the best part, because the family knows we love him so much,” Socci said as Technician Michelle Galanek held the puppy nearby. “What happened was, obviously he’s special and we had someone come forward who is very close with us in the practice,” Socci said of Señor’s adoption. “We know the family, we know the pets, we know the care that they would provide.

Animal 411

VIDEO: Abandoned Puppy ‘Señor’ Well-Loved at New Canaan Vet

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The staff at New Canaan Veterinary Hospital is facing the bittersweet prospect of saying “goodbye” to the abandoned Chihuahua puppy who came to them malnourished, shocked and screaming with fear after being left outside CVS on March 20. In the three weeks since, the approximately six-month-old puppy known here as “Señor” or “Señor Friend” (after initially taking on the simple name “Friend”) has been treated at the Vitti Street vet for demodectic mange and they’re getting his weight up—and he’s also getting a whole lot of TLC. Dr Paul Potenza and Senior at New Canaan Veterinary Hospital
“We had to give him some injections for his skin and he really reacted because he was so afraid and within two days, he started acting like this, holding onto us, letting us love him,” said Dr. Paul Potenza, moments before shooting the video above with us. “Now when [Technician] Michelle [Galanek] walks out of the room he starts to cry because he wants her back.”

It isn’t clear who abandoned the pup. A woman who works at a Lantern Ridge Road home found him outside the CVS on Park Street in the afternoon of March 20—about three Thursdays ago.