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Spotted a healthy-looking beautiful brown mastiff in Prospect Park this morning (in the Nethermead to be exact). Not aggressive at all but won't let you get close. Sean Casey Animal Rescue said the dog has been living in the park for 3 years now, eluding capture. A dogwalker told me the dog gets fed and sleeps in a parking garage at night. Has anyone else seen this dog or know anything else, like which garage?
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I've seen it up close and it looked very healthy--great body size and muscle tone plus shiny, healthy coat. I've seen it (and so have others I know) in the fenced in area on the south side of the path from the dog beach to the Nethermead, the steep incline portion. It definitely had no interest in my treats and I think came kind of close because it was interested in my dog.
Last time I heard about it, the version I got was that it has owners that just let it hang in the park (apparently Sean Casey folks had followed it home), but maybe that was the garage.
If you want to do something for the dog, SC may tell you where the garage is. I would just try asking them.
If you find out anything more about this, please share.
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I contacted Sean Casey after seeing the dog. They said it's been in the park for 3 years but they haven't heard of it sleeping in the parking garage. Not sure where the woman from the park heard that. I'm waiting to hear back from the Parks Department. Hopefully I'll learn more and then I'll post a follow up.
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I work at Prospect Park and know about/have twice seen the dog you are talking about. He does not sleep in any facility in the park.
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any photos?
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No photos here but it looked like a pure cane corso, either blue or brown brindle, I don't remember which. He's pretty elusive--I know plenty of folks who spend almost as much time as I do in the park (and in that area) that have never seen him.
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Why do you want to know where he sleeps? Sounds like he's pretty content.
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I'd never heard of a Cane Corso, but that's exactly what he looks like. Brown brindle. I've seen him on Quaker Hill, near Center Drive and also on Lookout Hill. We agree with Sean Casey and think he lives outside the park as he looks quite healthy, clean, and has a collar. He does not look like a stray.
He is not friendly, but he has never been aggressive or chased joggers, horses, or other dogs, as far as I know.
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I am looking at him now... How do I upload photos? Can I do it from iPhone? He's big, looks like a brown bear!
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you have to uploand photos to photobucket (or another service) first. Then link to photobucket.
...or just email them to me and I'll put 'em up.
See you PM for my email.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
As per the BurgerKing, here is the stray:
Looks like a big one!
Not as big as a Yetti, or a wild bore.
Not as fun as a chupacabra. ....but I will take what I can get.
...the hunt is on!
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Too lazy to start a new thread, but since Sean Casey's was mentioned here, I'll share an email I just got about donating stuff to them (which I plan to do tomorrow):
"Sean Casey's New York Animal Rescue & Hamilton Dog House would appreciate used blankets, towels, old leashes and toys. Bag what you have and bring it to Coffee Bark tomorrow morning and we'll see that he gets it right away."
Coffee Bark happens on the south side of the Picnic House from approximately 8-9am.
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I saw this dog at 6am on Center Drive on a dark morning in late October. He was very aggressive, and was actually following me slowly, matching my pace as if I were prey while growling. His head was low and his shoulders were up and he looked like a panther. I was a professional dog walker for years, and I have never been so frightened of a dog. I thought he would maul me if I tried to run away faster. That dog could easily kill a curious kid.Luckily, a guy came by with his dog and the dog stopped following me. I told the police, and to my surprise they took me seriously and went to check it out right away. I guess that's because they're familiar with the dog. He's not so friendly with people at dawn (neither am I) and his owners seem pretty negligent if they exist.
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This shows how much the Park cares about enforcing off-leash rules, when nobody official seams to care about an owner-less dog roaming all over the park.
If 95% of dog owners pick it up %99 of the time, that leaves a lot of crap on the sidewalk.
http://poop-slope.blogspot.com/ -
If the dog strays into LaGuardia's flight path, the Feds will take care of him.
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Avoiding capture for 3 years is no small feat.
...maybe the poor geese could learn from him.
I think the first thing we should do is name him.
...I'll then get t-shirts printed up, like they have for Champ (the monster that lives in Lake Champlain), and all of the other places that have monsters.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Let's call him "Piglet"
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I was thinking something like Hermit, or " Hermy" to those who have seen him.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Hermy's kind of cute. Takes the edge off a large, possibly scary dog. When I saw him, he kept stopping and sitting on the hills in the Nethermead, watching me from above. Very majestic fellow.
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Let's take it seriously as AnnaPine's post suggests. Truly, this is no joke.
If this dog is surviving in the Park with no aid (like sleeping in a garage or being fed regularly) then he or she has a hard life.If Park employees are taking care of this dog in the Park they are doing it no service and violating the set of rules that governs how "owned" dogs can be exercised in the Park. If there really is an owner out there that is "letting" this dog live its life in the Park I don't understand how that is a dog owner at all.
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Veets, I think we all agree on that. ...and predict that readers will try to engage Hermy in an attempt to get him into a rescue organization, or into the custody of the ASPCA.
...a feral dog is not something that the unexperienced and unequipped should try to secure.
I predict this is why the park employees have not caught pursued him: Hermy may be fast and rather large for the average park worker to cope with.
Sometimes it's tough to get the Animal Control people and the dog in the same place at the same time. The city seems to save its limited supply of tranquilizer darts for the occasional tiger in harlem.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
If they take the dog to Animal Care and Control he'll be killed, I guarantee it. If anyone has any ideas of helping this dog make sure it involves a local rescue not the city shelter or you're condemning him to death.
Go do something useful. -
It's like the Loch Ness Dog.
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The dog is NOT being cared for by parks employees, and rest assured the park does not want a dog roaming through the park, especially in the woodland areas. When there are animals that need to be captured and are not friendly and could possibly be dangerous, Animal Control is called.
For AC to capture this dog, it would require them to come to park, and essentially perform a stake out as he's not always in the park or visible. Considering he does not approach people (at least in a friendly way), I imagine they would have to shoot him with a sedative. If he is aggressive at the pound and they cannot locate an owner (if there is one) they will most likely put him down. To my knowledge, the dog has not attacked any horse, dog, or person, so it is unlikely that anyone is going to spend the time/funds needed to capture the dog.
Next time anyone is followed by the dog and he is acting aggressively, please report it. If it's an emergency situation and you truly feel threatened, call 911, if you have left the area and didn't feel like you were in danger, but you were concerned about the dog acting aggressively towards you or your dog, please call 311.
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Would that Brooklynianites cared as much for people in need as they do a possibly homeless dog......
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How do you know they don't Bricktop, why the cynicism and negativity? There have been threads about people helping a homeless man too.
(\__/)
(=’.'=)
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I'm with you Mama. Help who or what you like, as you like. (And thank you, if you're helping someone or some thing other than your self.)
But...we should stay on topic. If you're interested in the dog in the park, post away!
FIDO just put out a notice about a search on Saturday for a new-ish-ly adopted dog who came from a feral colony in the Rockaways, and another dog new to Bklyn who slipped his collar in Marine Park. They're on Facebook or
http://www.fidobrooklyn.org/rescue/adoption.html#lost -
Saw this guy a little while ago, in the same area I always see him. He looked to be frolicking in the snow, having a blast until he spotted us and then bolted away. He must be cold (such short hair), but looked good and ran beautifully through the snow.
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ACC will probably never do anything about this. They are understaffed as it is now. You may try contacting Regina Massaro from SNIP. I know that she helped rescue a lot of feral dogs in years past. She is trained and knows how to do it. I have never met her but I hear that she does good work. Her e-mail address is: snipnyc@aol.com
Here is an article that I found about her: http://www.animalalliancenyc.org/newsletter/07-08/apo.htm
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It also looks like Bobbi and the Strays has done work with feral dogs. Here is their website: http://www.bobbiandthestrays.org/
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my be you shoulde leave it alone or he will b killed by cops or some feds bull wow if i see i will get it to come home with me i will look is it a bull mafv???? brown
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Saw the dog this morning 2/5/11...looks like it just wants to be free...seems good natured and independent.
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I am glad to hear Hermy is alive and well.
It has been cold and snowy this winter; I bet someone is feeding him.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
I walk in the center drive area regularly and have only seen this dog once before today. This morning I spotted him on the path at the top of the hill west of center drive. From a distance of about 30ft he looked to be healthy and happy. I turned and walked away from him with my dogs and he followed briefly. He didn't appear to be aggressive but we didn't approach him.
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Had a close encounter with him today (I think Sean Casey & Co call him Brooklyn, fwiw). This morning around 7 I was walking my dog on the eastern side of the park and he popped out from behind a tree and was staring us (more me than my dog) down. I was actually a little scared b/c of his threatening body language and even my tough guy dog quickly backed down realizing this dog could take us both, easily. We were on a small path so I slowly turned and just walked back to the open we'd come from. He followed a few feet behind until I went to the park road and he went back into the woods. Once I turned and headed away he relaxed quite a bit.
Even up close he looked really good--not even close to being skinny, shiny coat. I heard again that he likely does have a "home" south of the park. With his short coat, I can't imagine him surviving the winter so well if he's outside 24/7.
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Although the law on the subject is less than clear, I believe that if they already have a name for him, their name should take precedence.
"Brooklyn" it is.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
How about the name Prospero. It's suitable since he lives in Prospect Park, and he's kind of like the Shakespearean character in exile.
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I suppose the t-shirts I will have printed up to profit from this thread could have multiple names for him.
Please continue.
Btw, has anyone looked to see whether it is a boy or girl dog?
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
He never gave me a side view, but based on size and demeanor, it seems like a male to me. Will see if any of the pictures I tried to take are decent. I was too busy paying attention to him to get shots while he was close, though.
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Oh my! I hope I don't come across him in the park. I'm a bit nervous round dogs - especially huge ones wandering around without a leash and owner!
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I saw this dog for the first time yesterday while I was on a run. I was coming up the big hill going toward GAP. I'm usually not afraid of dogs, but I was a little taken aback at his size. It didn't have a collar on and it surprises me that he hasn't been picked up by some type of animal control dept.
Starting a list of users names who are actually the same person: west1440, DownwardPuppy, TruthandBeauty, Stretchy, RupaulRox, NarcolepticAbe, QuantumSilence, SoldierSantana, SouljaJuan, TrendPotter, THREEKxdz, HomeEida -
If you worked for Animal Control for x dollars an hour, would you be anxious to tackle a healthy and apparently aggressive mastiff, a dog the size of a small horse?
I am sure I would decide there were other animals more in need of my attention.
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Apparently Sean Casey and Co have tried to catch him with no luck and I think they are likely to have put a lot of effort into catching him.
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I can't believe I've never seen this dog - and I'm at the park all the time. And I know where the momma swan nests every year.
I don't think animal control will do anything about the dog, because from what I can tell animal control no longer does, well, anything. I once called them about an opossum in my yard and they pretty much said they don't do anything any more. You either have to hire a private trapper yourself (and some aren't so animal friendly) or call 911 if an animal is rabid. There is no scenario in which animal control will get involved.
They're kind of like the emergency stop cord on the subway in that, according to the MTA signs, there is no occasion when one should pull the emergency cord.
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OQ » Apparently Sean Casey and Co have tried to catch him with no luck and I think they are likely to have put a lot of effort into catching him.
With the exception of the growling stalking part, I am beginning to really like this dog.
He is a true fugitive.
I hope this doesn't end like Thelma and Louise
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Piano said:
I can't believe I've never seen this dog - and I'm at the park all the time. And I know where the momma swan nests every year.I don't think animal control will do anything about the dog, because from what I can tell animal control no longer does, well, anything. I once called them about an opossum in my yard and they pretty much said they don't do anything any more. You either have to hire a private trapper yourself (and some aren't so animal friendly) or call 911 if an animal is rabid. There is no scenario in which animal control will get involved.
They're kind of like the emergency stop cord on the subway in that, according to the MTA signs, there is no occasion when one should pull the emergency cord.
I wonder if they're hiring...
...not that there's anything wrong with that. -
whynot_31 said:
OQ » Apparently Sean Casey and Co have tried to catch him with no luck and I think they are likely to have put a lot of effort into catching him.
With the exception of the growling stalking part, I am beginning to really like this dog.
He is a true fugitive.
I hope this doesn't end like Thelma and Louise
You know there are quite a few weird sacrifices in the park, as well as drumming circles. I think this is the spirit dog of Prospect Park
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oooohhh, I like the term "Prospect Park Spirit Dog".
We don't even have to agree on a name!
This version seems to live in the west somewhere
I could create Prospect Park Spirit Dog t-shirts that had magic powers, like .......
.
.
.
.
wait for it
.
.
.
.
.the wolf shirt!
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
That would make an awesome t-shirt design.
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newbies may not be familiar with its powers, or our long standing love of the wolf shirt!
http://brooklynian.com/forum/the-lounge-random-stuff/must-have-this-shirt-wolf-shirt?postid=434787
so many great threads on the topic!
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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