Rescued Puppies Reunite On Branford Town Green

Eight of the 14 puppies Branford police rescued last Christmas were reunited Saturday at the Town Green, where in the light of summer they nuzzled, rolled over, yapped and played with each other for the first time in six months. Two of their moms were on hand as well.

“The pack is here!” someone shouted as the pups bounded onto the Green. The police had named the pups after the Rudolf reindeer crew. Some still bore those names. Dasher remained Dasher. And Dancer remained Dancer.

However, Prancer is now Toby. Toby is the first puppy for Morgan and Kacey Gilman. Morgan, 11, showed Toby off with great pride. .

It was a lovely reunion. Judd, the owner of Moose, came up with the six-month reunion idea and Laura Burban, who heads the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter, arranged the event. Burban adopted one of the pups, Cupid, who is on her way to becoming a therapy dog.

Burban provided dog biscuits and a big water bowl for the dogs along with coffee and pastries for the adults. There were lots of stories, but the main story, their rescue, was never far from the conversation. ​“Look at them!” Burban declared. ​“Then think of the alternative.”

The first eight pups were found stuffed in a cooler on a frigid night on Route 1 across the street from the Branford Motel, after police became suspicious of a man carrying a cooler and walking aimlessly in circles, apparently looking for a place to hide the ice chest. Had police not rescued them when they came upon them at 2 a.m., they would have perished. The police took the pups and their mom to the New Haven Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine early Christmas day. One died there and another was born there.

They had been born to Cali, a black lab about 10 years old. Burban later learned that Cali was actually a grandmother when she gave birth. It turned out she was the mother of Chewie and Jazz, sisters, age 7. Chewie and Jazz gave birth at the motel within a day of Cali’s births .Then there were 14.

It wasn’t easy to figure out the various mixes of breed within these puppies. The mystery was solved when Dr. Deborah Yarrow at the Millpond Veterinary Hospital offered to help by arranging a DNA analysis. It showed that the puppies had a bit of everything — Chow, Boxer, Italian Greyhound, Dogue de Bordeaux and Akita.

Cali has been adopted and looked well cared for and loved. Jazz, another mother, sidled up to Cali and to Molly, one of her pups. She kissed Molly.

Molly, who wore a bandana around her neck, has gone to puppy school for six weeks, her parents John and Cheryl Chiroli said. She knew the command ​“Sit.” Click here to see a photograph of the family when Molly was adopted. 

When Moose came in with ears pointed to the sky, Burban was thrilled. ​“Finally, one whose ears stand up like my Cupid!” she declared, happy to learn that Cupid was not alone in the pointed ears department.

The dogs munched on biscuits and romped around. Before they went their separate ways, they and their proud parents sat for a portrait. 

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