1 dog dies, several sickened after visiting Santa Clara dog park, reports say

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KGO) -- A popular dog park in Santa Clara has been shut down after multiple reports of dogs falling severely ill, and in at least one case, dying, after visiting.

Nuevo Dog Park, located at Ryder Street and La Rambla Avenue, is connected to a condo complex.

For residents and dog owners like Marianne Saint George, going to the dog park is part of her daily routine. On Tuesday morning, she was shocked to find the park closed and a public notice from the city posted at the gate.

"I literally had no idea there was a health concern here," Saint George said. "I thought it was closed because the gate had been vandalized."

Saint George said both of her dogs, Esmerelda and Rosemary, recently became seriously ill with diarrhea. After several days without improvement, she took them to the veterinarian.

"Longer than I thought was reasonable," she said. "So I took them to the vet."

Saint George is not the only pet owner who ended up at the emergency vet. Last month, Chanu Malla said his dog Bella began suffering from violent seizures after a visit to the same park.

"I wasn't sure if she was going to make it during the 10-minute drive to the vet," Malla said. "It was really scary. I've never had major health issues like that with her before."

Many dog owners who live in the nearby condo complex said they were unaware of any health issues tied to the park until warning signs went up in the condo complex. It's not clear when the signs were put up or who put them up. But once Malla saw the signs, he said everything started to make sense.

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The City of Santa Clara said it has received multiple reports over the past two months of dogs becoming sick after visiting Nuevo Park. Last week, the city was notified of a dog that died.

"We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the pet's family - we understand that pets are cherished members our community," said the city of Santa Clara in a statement. "The health and safety of Santa Clara residents, including their four-legged companions, is a top priority."

While some owners feared pesticides may be to blame, city officials said they do not believe that is the case because they do not use pesticides at their dog parks. The investigation into the cause remains ongoing and the city is launching an environmental assessment of the dog park.

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In the meantime, owners like Saint George and Malla are feeling both shaken and grateful.

"I definitely had to pay in the multiple thousands to make sure she got her treatment," said Malla of Bella.

"That's awful," added Saint George when she learned that a dog had died. "My dogs are my fur babies. I love them. I'm sure that dog will be very missed and I'm so sorry. I'm grateful that my dogs didnt' have that happen and I'm so sorry that anybody's did."

The city said Nuevo Dog Park is temporarily closed and will remain closed until testing is completed. Cameras have also been installed this week for security purposes as the park has been vandalized multiple times over the last year.

Residents and dog owners with concerns can call the Dog Park Hotline at (408)-615-3144 or submit a report through the MySantaClara app.