Disease spreads at popular dog park
City officials take precautions to combat leptospirosis
FREMONT >> City officials have received multiple reports from people who say their dogs have contracted leptospirosis, a bacterial infection, after visiting the popular Central Park Dog Park.
The park was closed and cleaned in November after a possible contamination, and the city since has modified its maintenance program and made other changes to the facilities in an effort to prevent a potential outbreak.
Fremont notified dog owners in early November that the dog park at 1740 Stevenson Blvd. would be closed for a thorough cleaning and disinfection after learning a canine that frequented it may have been diagnosed with leptospirosis.
Leptospirosis is spread through infected animals’ urine. The bacteria can live in stagnant water and soil and be transmitted to animals from there, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dogs can also get it by drinking contaminated water.
Juan Barajas, Fremont’s parks superintendent, said crews pressure-washed the park and applied a diluted bleach solution to all structures, fixtures, pathways and the synthetic turf surface for large dogs. The natural grass surface for small dogs was not sprayed but the facilities were, Barajas said. Both areas were closed for roughly a week after the cleaning to let them completely dry.
Despite the cleaning, Barajas said the city has since received about “three to five” reports from dog owners who say their pets are being treated for the disease.
“We have had some concerns of dogs coming up with leptospirosis, but there really is no way to validate where the dogs actually contracted it,” Barajas said. “Most of the people who are implying or assuming that they got it at our dog park also frequent other dog parks.”
The city’s standard maintenance of the park, done about every three months, will now include spraying a bleach solution on much of its facilities. Barajas also said crews removed metal bowls affixed to the bottoms of park fountains.
Those bowls, along with an attached spigot at each fountain, were causing too much water puddling. The city has ordered a different model of spigot and bowl that drain better, Barajas said.
“It’s really concerning,” dog owner Daron Pabelonio said in an interview at the dog park earlier this month. “I do get really worried, obviously, knowing that he could contract it somehow.”
Other dog owners at the park said they worried the disease could spread.
Shayna Frank of Hayward said owners need to assume they are taking a risk by bringing a dog to a shared facility or parks. “You kind of have to weigh the benefits and the risk,” she added.
Alisa Prathnadi of Fremont said her dog had a leptospirosis vaccination before she got him, so she’s confident he’ll be OK.
“Bringing him to the park and having him socialized is a lot more important for me,” she said. “I’d like to still keep bringing him here because I think it’s important for him to be able to get out.”
The CDC recommends vaccinating pets against the disease but also cautions there are many strains of the bacteria so a vaccine may not provide complete protection.
Some dogs get weak or stiff, vomit, and have diarrhea or abdominal pain if they contract the infection, but others may not show any symptoms, so the CDC says it is important to check with veterinarians.
There are tests available that can determine whether a pet has the disease.
Fremont’s dog park may not be the only facility hit by the disease. Union City’s Drigon Dog Park has been closed twice in the past several months because of concerns over a possible “outbreak,” according to Union City Public Works Director Tom Ruark.
In late September, the park at 34666 7th St. was closed and cleaned with a bleach solution. In late December, Ruark said another scare, along with the issues in Fremont, caused the city to close and clean the park through Jan. 3. The city also shut off all irrigation and sprinklers at the park to help the grass stay dry.
Ruark said the city will close the park for a time after rain to allow it to dry.
Marc Ricketts of Fremont brought his two German shepherds to the Fremont park recently and said he wasn’t too worried about leptospirosis because he had “assumed it was under control.” Ricketts said he might think twice now.
Signs are posted at Central and Drigon parks warning visitors about the disease and recommending owners bring a water bowl for their dogs.
The CDC says animals infected with leptospirosis can “continue to excrete the bacteria into the environment continuously or every once in a while for a few months up to several years.”