A mystery in Moose Jaw has the city investigating why one dog has died and several others have become ill.
The common thread between them is recent visits to the city’s off-leash dog parks along High Street West. The gates to those parks have been padlocked since Friday.
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Scott Osmachenko, Moose Jaw’s acting director of community recreation and park services, said the city was told on Friday some sick dogs that had all been at the small dog park that day were taken to a veterinarian.
“Just as a precautionary item, we have just closed the dog park, and we’re currently doing some investigation related to water samples,” Osmachenko said. “Unfortunately, there were multiple dogs that were impacted and we did have one fatality.
“We are investigating and doing more testing right now, but until that, we’re just keeping the dog park closed.”
He said the city hadn’t been in contact with the animal owners, but was working with the veterinary clinic as well as the Moose Jaw Humane Society.
In addition to water sample testing, Osmachenko said an autopsy is being done on the animal that died. Until test results come back, there’s no indication on the cause of the symptoms, and no timeline on reopening the dog park.
“We don’t have any theories,” Osmachenko said. “We’re doing all the testing, and again, the dogs just became ill.”
People who recently visited either the small or large dog park with their pets are asked to monitor for symptoms. They might include drowsiness or loss of consciousness, wobbling, or falling.

People who have recently brought their dogs to Moose Jaw’s dog park are advised to watch for symptoms of illness in their pets. (Geoff Smith/980 CJME)
Anyone who observes any concerning symptom is asked to contact a veterinarian.









