Dog dies in a park pond …
... and still no warnings
A dog has died after disappearing down a filthy pond in a rundown Gold Coast park, sparking safety fears for pets and young children using a nearby playground.
Neighbours posted on a community Facebook page warning “the dog just disappeared” after its owners and kids went to Southport’s Musgrave Park play area. They say “the staffy” ran off and was reported missing, found 24 hours later dead in a pond (pictured) close to a swings near the Musgrave Ave park entrance.
“Please be aware of your pets and kids as this hole is a huge hazard for all users and its risk is extremely high as we unfortunately have witnessed,” a resident wrote.
Another resident claimed area councillor Brooke Patterson was contacted “but of course she has not done a thing about it”.
Cr Patterson strongly rejected those claims, saying officers were investigating.
Division 6 candidate Samantha Delmege, running against her, said she complained to council on Wednesday. Division 7 candidate Jenna Schroeder who runs the community page where the concerns were first raised, also complained.
The Bulletin inspected the park on Thursday morning. No warning signs or barricades had been put up around the pond. Cr Patterson said the City was in the planning and design phase of a project to improve pedestrian pathways and address stormwater issues in Musgrave Park.
“This $4.2m upgrade is fully funded and set to occur in the next financial year. It was very sad to hear a dog drowned at the park a few days ago in water one to two feet deep,” she said. “The City of Gold Coast urges people to remain vigilant in all our parks after the recent storms as they are still being cleared of green waste debris and water.
“There have been no previous concerns of dog safety at this spot raised to my office nor during the extensive community consultation we held on site in 2022. I have, however, asked officers to investigate and report back.”
Ms Delmege said she was alerted to the situation by concerned residents and inspected the park where she spoke to dog owners who feared for pet and children safety.
“It’s of huge concern due to the amount of families who use the park with young children and also small dogs, being an off leash dog park,” she said.
“The park is very overgrown and the path for people to walk on is in substandard condition. Large puddles are forming after the rain and the whole park needs to be audited and looked at closely.
“My deepest sympathies go out to the family who lost their beloved dog. If elected I would ensure this park is well maintained and up to standard for the community to continue to utilise, in particular the children’s play area.”
Ms Schroeder said the pet death would have been “devastating” for the family.
“I immediately brought the issue to the attention of Cr Brooke Patterson, who assured me council officers would look into the matter,” she said.