SHEFFIELD — A Connecticut man charged in a fatal drunk driving accident in Sheffield on Feb. 28 has pled not guilty in a court arraignment.Federick Weller, 35, of Sandy Hook, a section of Newtown, Conn., is facing his fifth drunk driving arrest. His license was suspended at the time of the accident, in which he drove his pickup truck into the southbound lane of Route 7 and hit four cars. Moira Banks-Dobson, 24, of Sheffield, died at the scene when Weller’s pickup truck drove onto and crushed her Toyota Corolla. She graduated from The Hotchkiss School in 2005 and Yale University last year. She was returning home from a job as a tutor in Pittsfield when the accident occurred just before 7 p.m.Russell Brown, 52, of Great Barrington, Mass., was driving a Dodge Neon that was struck, and is reported to be hospitalized in critical condition. The remaining four people in the four vehicles had minor or no inuries.A North Canaan family was in the line of cars involved, but avoided a direct collision with Weller’s truck.Sheffield police said earlier this week they were still reconstructing the accident. They were almost certain Banks-Dobson’s car was the last to be struck. According to statements made in the warrant, Weller was observed driving north and excessively slowly through the center of Sheffield. His Ford F350 hit a guardrail near Sheffield Pottery and he took off at a high rate of speed. About a mile farther north, just south of the Kellogg Road intersection, he crossed into the southbound lane. “The first car to get hit was the one in front of us,” said Darlene Webb, who was the front seat passenger in the car driven by her husband, Joe Webb. Their 9-year-old daughter, Brianna, was in the back seat. “We just got hit by stuff from the first car. The car behind us got hit, and I’m not sure where the other two were in line. “I’m pretty sure the woman who died was the last to get hit because the truck ended up on top of her car. I went up to help the woman in the first car. She was OK and I stayed there with my daughter while Joe went back to help.”There was little warning, Webb said. That section of road is not lit. But it’s straight, and she recalled her husband remarking that the headlights coming at them appeared odd.“It looked like someone swerving. We didn’t think too much of it at first.”After the crash, Weller reportedly tried to leave the scene on foot, allegedly threatening to kill two men who tried to stop him, according to newspaper reports. Police soon arrived and the two men directed them to Weller, who was in a nearby field, with moderate injuries, his face bleeding from a gash. According to one firefighter, he told police he thought he was in Danbury.Weller was hospitalized at Berkshire Medical Center until Friday, March 2, when he was released, arrested and taken directly to Southern Berkshire District Court in Great Barrington. He is charged with motor vehicle homicide involving operating under the influence or neglect, operating under the influence, operating under the influence with serious injury, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, witness intimidation and two counts of leaving the scene of property damage.Weller was sent from court to the Berkshire County House of Corrections to be held without bail until a bond hearing schedule for March 8.Canaan Fire Company and North Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps volunteers responded to a request for mutual aid.A portion of Route 7 was closed for the entire night as the scene was investigated and cleared.
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Marsala is eager to go home with you.
Tiffany Lemelin, shelter manager, brushing Marsala upon arrival.Provided
The Little Guild is an animal shelter at 285 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike in West Cornwall. Founded in 1957, the organization rescues animals from local surrenders and under-resourced shelters. When a rescue animal arrives at The Little Guild, staff begins a careful intake and transition process to ensure the animal is safe, healthy and ready for adoption.
New arrivals are quarantined in-house. Vaccinations are verified as up to date, and staff assesses each animal’s medical, behavioral and placement needs. Rescues receive medical care, daily support and behavioral training to ease shelter stress. Once a dog has finished quarantine and is ready for a home, its profile is published at littleguild.org.
Michael DeBarba, certified dog trainer working with Marsala.Jennifer Almquist
Prospective adopters fill out an online application with information about their household and veterinary and personal references.
The next step is for the prospective adopter and family members to meet the dog. If there is already a dog in the household, a meet-and-greet is scheduled so the dogs can get acquainted.
The animal care staff offers guidance based on its knowledge of each animal’s personality, needs and quirks to help families find the best fit.
Marsala wins a heart.Jennifer Almquist
Once a match is made, the adoption contract outlines aftercare. Adopters agree to return the animal to The Little Guild if the adoption doesn’t work out. The organization’s commitment continues after adoption, with six months of free training and follow-up from staff to answer questions or address concerns.
“Please don’t pass Marsala by,” Lemelin said. “He loves people and other dogs. He’s a lap dog who lives for snuggles, cuddles and face kisses. Marsala deserves a family, a soft bed and a lifetime of being chosen.”
To find out about Marsala and other rescue dogs and cats, visit littleguild.org
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Sampson, a playful and independent blind hound mix, explores the rescue’s large yard.
Though she takes in dogs of all ages, including some with disabilities — and one resident cat — the rescue’s motto is “Giving old dogs new lives.”
Sadie, center, a Carolina dog, plays with her friend Negra, a terrier mix. Bella Linda, the small poodle, has since been adopted.L. Tomaino
Sadie, a sweet Carolina dog, was the first to greet visitors.
“She could really use a home,” Meade said.
Then came Bonnie and Clyde, rat terriers; Negra, a small terrier mix; Sampson, a blind hound mix; and Jay Z, a terrier mix who was emaciated when Meade took him in and has since filled out, with fur regrowing over previously bald patches. Wesley, a young, shaggy mix whom Meade calls “a very good boy,” is also in need of a home.
Wesley, a young, exuberant mix, is looking for an active home.L. Tomaino
Meade began rescuing dogs after going to Waterbury to adopt one and learning that, by the end of the three-day weekend, the dogs she was looking at would be euthanized to make room for others.
She went home and started her rescue in New Preston, Connecticut. After five years there, she moved to California, where she rescued dogs from overcrowded pounds for 13 years.
Meade, a busload of dogs and her cat moved back to the Northeast a little more than a year ago.
Ninety-nine percent of the dogs at the rescue come from pounds, both locally and in California and New York City.
“We are more than happy to place dogs with older people, and we are also willing to give support after the adoption,” Meade said, noting that some rescues will not adopt to people over 60.
Bonnie and Clyde, an affectionate terrier pair.L. Tomaino
For those who cannot adopt, the rescue needs donations of old blankets, dog and cat food, cleaning supplies, puppy pads and dog treats. Monetary donations are also welcome and can be made through the rescue’s website. Meade also welcomes volunteers to help with the dogs.
Contact Meade at 805-239-4004, 860-866-7986 or 4dots@att.net to arrange a visit or drop off donations. For available dogs and more information, visit meadecaninerescue.org.
Newtown Veterinary Specialists
For Berkshire County residents, VCA All Caring Animal Hospital, 440 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington, can be a nearby first call. The full-service hospital offers diagnostics and hospitalization and asks clients with an emergency or a pet requiring immediate attention to call rather than use its online contact form. It is not a 24-hour emergency hospital, however. Current hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday. Call 413-528-8020.
Poughkeepsie also has several options for urgent care. Creature Comforts Animal Hospital, 64 Pine St., is a full-service veterinary hospital offering emergency and critical care during regular business hours. The hospital treats dogs and cats as well as birds, reptiles and other exotic pets. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday. For after-hours emergencies involving dogs and cats, the hospital refers patients to regional emergency facilities. Call 845-625-2474.
Community Animal Care, 269 Titusville Road, offers urgent and emergency care during operating hours and asks pet owners to call ahead. Regular hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Urgent care is available daily by calling ahead, with extended hours until 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. The practice also offers after-hours veterinary triage by video to help owners determine whether a pet can safely wait or should be taken to a 24-hour facility. Call 845-471-7459.
When an animal needs care in the middle of the night, on a holiday or for a potentially life-threatening condition, the options become more limited.
Guardian Veterinary Specialists, 4 Hardscrabble Heights in Brewster, is a 24-hour emergency and specialty hospital, open seven days a week, 365 days a year. Its emergency department is staffed around the clock, with on-site imaging and laboratory services. No appointment is necessary for an emergency, although calling ahead is encouraged when possible. Call 914-704-3400.
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Newtown Veterinary Specialists, 52 Church Hill Road in Newtown, Connecticut, also provides emergency care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. No appointment is required for emergency care, although the hospital recommends calling ahead when possible. Call 203-270-8387.
Pet owners should remember that emergency veterinary hospitals operate much like human emergency rooms in that patients are triaged according to the severity of their condition, so animals with less critical problems may have to wait.
The best preparation is simple. Keep the number of your regular veterinarian and at least one 24-hour emergency hospital in your phone, and know roughly how long it will take to get there. If circumstances allow, call before leaving home to confirm where your pet should be seen.
When something goes wrong at 10 p.m. on a Sunday, knowing where you’re headed can make a frightening situation a little less overwhelming.
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