Dog parents of the Parker Newlin Meadows area have to find a new park for their furry companion after a Douglas Country park closes indefinitely.
The Newlin Meadows Park in Parker has been closed since May 26 after reports of four dogs dying within two weeks of playing at the park. According to CBS News Colorado, the four dogs were of bigger breeds, “a golden retriever, and three labs,” with three of the four dogs being “relatively young.” Joe Madril, the owner of Sophie, a lab, spoke with the outlet, recalling what happened in the events leading up to her death.
“She was a great family dog. We had her for 12 years,” said Madril. “I went over and grabbed her and put her on a leash and brought her back, but that evening when I came home at six, she couldn’t get up, she couldn’t stand, and her head was tilted,”
Madril shared that he had to put down their beloved family dog the following morning, revealing they were “told it was a seizure.” Madril reported the incident to authorities while the neighbors took action, reporting what happened to the HOA — who closed the park for good last Friday.
While the park is closed, and many dog owners are asking questions about how and why this happened, the Douglas County Health Department released a statement saying they’re “looking into” the matter. Here’s the complete statement as first reported by CBS News Colorado:
“We acknowledge and share in the grief felt by pet parents for the loss of their loved one as we continue to work with the Newlin Gulch HOA to determine if there is a naturally occurring substance in the park or if the dogs had been exposed to a man-made, synthetic toxin that was ingested there. In the absence of veterinary test results, there is no way to conclusively determine cause of death. We applaud the HOA for their continued diligence and for proactively closing the park until further notice.
We are continuing to work with the HOA on the journey of discovery regarding what may have occurred, and yet also, at this time, we still have no conclusive evidence that there is any connection between the park and the deceased dogs.”
