Stamford Animal Control Rescues Rabbit Kept in Poor Conditions

Stamford Animal Care & Control took possession of a wild rabbit that they say was being neglected at a Henry St. home, Officer Tilford Cobb said.

The rabbit had been stuck in what he called a tiny cage and then left to accumulate a large amount of feces in the cage with no effort to clean or care for the animal, Cobb said.

"It was just an outright cruelty situation," Cobb said."Of course no one at the house seemed to be the owner."

If a wild animal is being kept, depending on circumstances, if the animal is one capable of carrying rabies, the office will have to put the animal down to test it for the disease.

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An exotic rooster was recovered from Cummings Park. Officers believe the animal was ejected from a vehicle.

The animal was identified as a Silkie rooster, and Cobb said the animals are known for being the best pets.

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Cobb conducted a traffic stop this past week on Hope St., something Animal Control officers don't do on a regular basis.

Driving behind a pickup truck loaded with cages, Cobb said the animals began peeking out at him as he followed the truck down the road.

"He was carrying several traps in the back of his truck," Cobb said. "Suddenly I saw all these little faces start popping up."

Cobb said he radioed for backup then went to check out the cages, which were filled with oppossums and raccoons.

"I hate to see them trapped and killed, but that's what a lot of these trappers will do," Cobb said, stating they make quite a profit per animal.

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Cobb said the office has been getting a lot of calls recently about young, immature raccoons wandering into places they shouldn't be as they investigate their surroundings.

"They're young raccoons getting into awkward places," he said. "We're getting a lot of calls like that, with them trying to get into houses, sleeping in places they probably shouldn't be."

Cobb used an incident on Westhill Rd. as an example, where a homeowner called because a raccoon was sleeping in the middle of their lawn. Afraid the animal might be sick, the homeowner contacted animal control.

"As soon as I showed up and started to approach him, he stirred," Cobb said. "He took one look at me and got up and ran off."