Brooklyn Pet Owners Concerned By Multiple Dog Deaths Possibly Linked To Popular Park
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Dog owners in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, are growing more concerned after at least three dogs died after visiting a popular dog run.
Now, the city health department is investigating.
When a French bulldog named Oreo was near death at an animal hospital, Dakarrie Garcia was there.
"He was dwindling and fading out very fast," he told CBS2's Dave Carlin.
The dog belonged to his college-aged female cousin.
Oreo was brought in dizzy and vomiting with skin and eyes that looked yellow. He died Tuesday.
"I had to step out for that. It was too much for me," Garcia said.
The results of lab tests confirmed Leptospirosis, which is caused by spiral-shaped bacteria that live in water and warm, wet soil. Rats can spread it.
Garcia believes Oreo may have caught it in Williamsburg's McCarren Park, where CBS2 found concerned dog owners posting their own warning signs.
"There's been several dogs that have passed from this disease, and we just wanna make sure that we get the word out," said Agnes Reichert, manager of Buddy's Dog Den.
"We're doing this for the community and for Oreo," Garcia said.
CBS2 went to Veterinary Emergency Group, a few blocks away from the park, where the doctors tried to save Oreo.
Dr. Wasi Ashraf is medical director.
"It's something that we are seeing in small numbers, given the population of dogs that we actually have in the city and in Williamsburg," she said.
Veterinarians say dogs will be dogs -- it's hard to keep them from licking things -- so get them vaccinated.
"Vaccinating these dogs both reduces the severity of clinical signs if dogs do get infected and reduces the chances that they will get infected," Dr. Emily Ravener said.
Ravener says avoiding one small area, like a park, just won't be good enough.
"It can be on your sidewalks. It can be anywhere. Around your garbage cans, where you keep your bags," she said.
Owners should also try to keep their pets from drinking out of puddles or other places that could be contaminated with animal waste.
Still, the city is taking action.
On Monday, crews will come to McCarren Park and remove a foot of topsoil.
"Replacing it all with gravel and new wood chips. We've got both the health department and the parks department working together to address the rat conditions, closing up the rat burrows, bringing in dry ice. We have new garbage cans coming to the area," New York City Councilman Lincoln Restler said.
Park improvements and better education -- Garcia is convinced by getting those things, Oreo's heartbreaking story will save lives.
