Rat bites dog in park in Boston's North End. "It was chaos," owner says
BOSTON - Dog owners who use an off-leash park in Boston's North End are questioning who is responsible for ridding the area of rodents, after a dog was bitten by a rat Wednesday afternoon.
"It was a big rat"
"It was probably a pound. It was a big rat. It was pretty fat," said John Clifton whose dog Fin came in contact with the rat, putting it in its mouth.
"I picked up Fin with the rat in his mouth and walked him over to the fence, shaking him a little bit to free the rat," Clifton told WBZ-TV.
The 2-year-old Shiba Inu, a natural born hunter, was playing with his brother Cooper when he picked up the rat. It was one of many rodents that have plagued the park in recent months.
"It lasted 20 or 30 seconds, it was chaos here, Cooper trying to get to Fin, I was trying to get to Fin," Clifton said.
The rat bit his dog on the side of his mouth before it was finally released.
Rats running around park
Dog owners say the rats have been burrowing in the walls near a community garden, popping up through holes and scurrying through the area. It's become such an uncomfortable co-existence that Fin knows exactly their point of entry.
"It was a traumatic experience for me brought on by my dog which was tough," Clifton said.
It's been enough to make owners skittish about giving their pups playtime at the park.
"I would say so, because I'm nervous even walking her. If I see a rat in the daytime I'm wondering if it's sick or if it will attack," said dog owner MacKenzie Lane, who was playing with her black lab Millie.
Owners say they'd like to see the holes in the walls filled and trash cans covered. But there are blurred lines between a privately funded park on city property and who would be responsible.
Rat complaints unanswered
Calls to Boston's 311 hotline about rodent activity have gone unanswered and John Clifton says he knows rats can come with city territory.
"I'll definitely be on higher alert for sure," said Clifton.
He's hoping what he calls a tight community, can finally rid itself of the pesky intruders.