Rat infestation worries dog owners at Pelham Bay dog run
Ray Rodriguez, a dog owner who regularly visits the park, said he had a close encounter with the rodents during a recent outing with his dog, Ozzy.
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Some neighbors in Pelham Bay say the local dog run has become overrun with rats — and they’re worried the rodents could pose a serious health risk to their pets.
Ray Rodriguez, a dog owner who regularly visits the park, said he had a close encounter with the rodents during a recent outing with his dog, Ozzy.
“I noticed there’s rats the size of cats right in the dog park, and they’re very huge,” Rodriguez said. “I said, ‘This is a dangerous place.’ Our dogs are loose and they’re playing around.”
Video taken by another neighbor shows a rat hanging out along the fence inside the dog run.
“It’s a bad situation,” said dog owner Mark Altschuler. “It scares the people, and obviously nobody wants their dog to be bit by a rat.”
Residents say the rats often gather near a green utility box and along the fencing. When News 12 visited the park, no rats were spotted — but neighbors say they usually appear when it’s quieter.
Rodriguez said that during a recent visit, the rats got uncomfortably close.
“They literally ran up to my dog,” he said. “And I have a 140-pound bull mastiff — so they’re not afraid of us. They’re not afraid of our dogs, either.”
Some residents say they’ve complained to the city but feel their concerns have been ignored.
“I have complained to the Parks Department,” Altschuler said. “They say they are aware of a rat problem in New York City. Everybody knows that. But not here — this is our little sanctuary.”
“They need to really take care of that,” Rodriguez added. “It’s a very bad infestation of rats here. We don’t know if they have rabies or what kind of diseases they’re carrying.”
News 12 reached out to the NYC Parks Department, and it said it is aware of the rat issues.
It said it has increased trash removal at the dog run and is in the process of switching the site's trash receptacle to a rat-proof bin. It is also working to relocate the storage box that the rats frequently hide underneath. It also said its parks exterminators will be fumigating to reduce the rat population.
