Woman fears algae in water at West Roxbury park is to blame for dog's death

On a visit to West Roxbury's Millennium Park on Friday, a local woman couldn't have known it would be her final walk with her dog Dobby along their favorite route. 

"It was so beautiful and clear. I saw her drink some water, which I didn't like, but I didn't catch her soon enough," Elivia Savadier Sagov recalled.

By Sunday, their dog of more than a decade had died. And the family fears the sudden suffering may have been caused by blue-green algae poisoning.

"This year I was very aware. I thought maybe not to let them in the water at all but it's so tempting. We miss her terribly. It's just been so sudden. Just really miss her," she said sadly. 

Dobby, 16, was an older dog, but according to the couple both of their pets became sick within hours of exposure to the water. Dobby's symptoms were worse, including muscle stiffness, seizures, weakness, and GI issues. 

The Charles River Watershed Association told WBZ-TV it is not aware of any recent testing in that section of the river. Over the last decade, the Charles River has had cyanobacteria blooms almost every summer; the longest bloom lasting 12 weeks in 2020.

"I almost feel there should be permanent notices here that state it very strongly: July and August there is likely to be algae. If there's rain you may not even see the scum but spores are still in the water. And once the dog get this, the vets say there's nothing that can be done," she said. 

The MSPCA confirms toxic blooms usually discolor fresh water in shades of green but it's impossible to tell by appearance alone. The Charles River Watershed Association said blooms can develop quickly and asks volunteer visual monitors to be the eyes and ears of the river helping to collect data.