‘We don’t need a Band-Aid’
After dog deaths, locals raise alarms about McCarren Park
BY KIRSTYN BRENDLEN
Four dogs have reportedly
died after contracting a fatal
bacterial disease, and many
canine owners are frantically
speculating that they all contracted
the infection while
visiting the McCarren Park
dog run in Williamsburg.
North Brooklynites raised
the alarm on social media
early last week after three dogs
had been diagnosed with leptospirosis,
a bacterial disease
usually contracted through
contact with the urine of rats
and other rodents, or contaminated
soil and water.
Days later, at least four sick
dogs had died, according to a
Daily News report.
Most of the dogs had recently
visited the fenced-in dog run at
McCarren Park, at the triangular
intersection of North 12th
Street and Driggs and Union avenues.
The city’s parks department
said in a statement that
the area is not an offi cial department
sanctioned dog run,
though their website refers to
the area as such.
None of the possible cases
have been confi rmed by the
city’s Department of Health
and Mental Hygiene as of Friday
afternoon. The health department
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Michael G. Rizzotto, Manager
COURIER L 30 IFE, JAN. 28-FEB. 3, 2022
investigates about
15 cases of canine leptospirosis
per year, and “clusters” of
infection are rare, according
to a spokesperson.
A two-year-old French
bulldog named Oreo, was the
fi rst pooch publicly reported
to have contracted the disease.
Within a few hours of returning
from the park, he was
vomiting and lethargic, said
Dakarrie Garcia. Eventually,
the pooch became jaundiced
as his liver and kidneys were
attacked by the disease, and
Oreo’s owner was forced to euthanize
him a few days later.
A health department representative
noted that dogs typically
present with symptoms
a week or two after exposure,
not within hours.
Oreo belonged to Garcia’s
cousin, who also lives in Williamsburg,
he said. But during
the pandemic, he took the
young dog in for a few months
for training. “Oreo was a great
dog, during the pandemic, I
was alone — all I had was my
dogs,” he said.
Since moving to Williamsburg
seven years ago, Garcia
has been frustrated with the
way Parks maintains the city’s
dog runs, he said, and has repeatedly
raised his concerns
about rat infestations and
standing water.
“Nobody cares, they won’t
do anything,” he said. “They’ll
give us mulch to cover it up,
they’ll give us cedar sticks to
cover it up. It just adds a Band-
Aid and more bacteria. We
need change, we don’t need a
Band-Aid.”
On Jan. 21, the department
swapped out McCarren’s existing
garbage cans for rat-proof
bins, and an exterminator was
searching the park for signs of
rats. The area was last treated
for rats three weeks ago, according
to a Parks representative.
Starting on Jan. 24,
teams would be “refreshing”
the area, including replacing
the wood chips in the dog run.
They offi cially closed the
run over the weekend, hanging
a sign on the fence that the
“area is temporarily closed for
improvements.”
Neighbors have also
started an online fundraiser
to install turf at the dog run to
ensure ongoing proper drainage
and easier sanitation.
While cases have not yet
been confi rmed by the Department
of Health, local dog lovers
aren’t taking any chances.
According to the American
Kennel Club, more than
25 percent of all leptospirosis
cases are fatal, and unvaccinated
dogs are signifi cantly
more likely to contract the disease
than vaccinated ones.
For more on the leptospirosis
outbreak at McCarren
Park, visit BrooklynPaper.com.
Dog owners say standing water is a common issue at the McCarren Park
dog run, and that it’s likely contributed to several dogs falling ill and dying
after visiting the park. Photo courtesy of Agnes Reichert
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