After completing its investigation, including an environmental health study of the artificial turf, the landscaping, soil, and drinking water, the City of Santa Clara is reopening Nuevo Dog Park on Monday, June 15, 2026.
In August of 2025, the City of Santa Clara closed the dog park, located at Ryder Street and La Rambla Avenue, as a precautionary measure following reports of dogs experiencing health issues after visiting the park.
To ensure the safety of all park patrons, including canine companions, the park was closed pending investigation. Due to lack of physical evidence, the City retained a 3rd party consultant to perform environmental testing of samples obtained from the park and separate water samples were sent to five laboratories. The specific areas tested focused on items a dog is likely to touch, sniff, or taste: artificial turf, fallen leaves, plant debris, common plants in the park landscaping, soil, and drinking water.
Samples were sent to state-certified laboratories for testing, and the City’s 3rd party consultant, ESSEL Environmental, reviewed all of the results and prepared the Nuevo Dog Park Technical Memorandum. The report found no evidence that the park’s turf, soil, or drinking water were the cause of reported animal illness.
The City takes the safety and well-being of its residents, visitors, and their pets seriously. To that end, the City does not use pesticides in any of our dog parks, and all are regularly cleaned with pet- and eco-friendly products. In addition to the environmental testing, the City has also taken steps to ensure a safer and more enjoyable experience for all park users and the neighborhood. The gate for park entry has been replaced with a higher fence to ensure the park is only utilized during park hours (sunrise to ½ hr. after sunset). Signage along the fence and entry gate has been removed and relocated to reduce noise when entering and exiting the park.
The City understands the public’s concern about animals visiting Nuevo Dog Park, and based on the results of the investigation, we are confident the park is safe to reopen.
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