Niagara-on-the-Lake staff says death of dog may be tied to toxic algae near the waterfront

The death of a dog, believed to be caused by contaminated water, has staff in Niagara-on-the-Lake ‘cautioning’ the public to stay away from the waterfront at Ryerson Park.

The city says they were made aware of the canine’s passing by the Upper Canada Animal Hospital who suspect the death was due to a toxic cyanobacteria exposure.

“Veterinarians highly suspect this to be an accurate prognosis, calling it a textbook case,” the city said in a release on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Environment and Niagara Regional Public Health are now testing the surrounding waterfront for harmful algal bloom (HAB), according to the municipality.

HAB, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are colonies of algae that grow out of control and can produce toxic matter which can be ‘debilitating or even fatal’ to humans and animals.

The municipality says appropriate monitoring of other waterfront areas in Niagara-on-the-Lake are underway, and out of an abundance of caution are asking the public to avoid waterfront areas until test results return.

2:01 Moncton area urged to conserve water, mitigate high risk of blue-green algae bloom in reservoir