A dog park in Santa Clara has been temporarily closed after a dog died and multiple other dogs became ill after visiting the park, officials said.

The City of Santa Clara said in a press statement Monday evening that Nuevo Dog Park, located at Ryder Street and La Rambla Avenue just south of Central Expressway and east of Lawrence Expressway, would remain closed until further notice.

For the past two months, the city said it received reports of dogs getting sick after visiting the park, and last week, city officials were notified that a dog had died following a visit to the park. 

"We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the pet's family - we understand that pets are cherished members of our community," the city said in the press release.

The city announced it was launching a thorough environmental assessment of Nuevo Dog Park, and said it does not use pesticides in any of its dog parks, which are regularly cleaned with pet- and eco-friendly products. 

The city says the park has been vandalized several times over the past year, and it installed two new security cameras near the park's entrance just this week. Officials said it's unknown if the vandalism is related to the mystery dog illness.

Resident Marianne Saint George lives within walking distance of the park and used to come to the park at least three to four days a week with her two dogs.

"When we first saw the sign, the latch was gone on the gate, and so we assumed it was closed due to vandalism," said Saint George.

Last month, Saint George had to keep her dogs at home because both were sick for over a week. 

"I just took my dogs to the vet because they had diarrhea. Is it related? I have no idea," she said.

After looking at a newly-placed sign at the park listing the symptoms of a mystery illness that has impacted other dogs, Saint George says she's going to call the city.

"I'm concerned," she said. "I think it's reasonable to say that my dogs may well be impacted by that same thing."

Residents with questions or concerns about Santa Clara dog parks were encouraged to call the Dog Park Hotline at 408-615-3144 or submit a report through the MySantaClara app.