The freedom to sprint and chase — these moments spent running wild at a dog park are often the best part of the day for a dog living in an urban jungle.
That’s exactly what Jonas Silva hoped to give his five-month-old puppy, McCoy, when he let him off-leash for the first time in Pulaski Park in November 2024, in the southern part of Mott Haven, five minutes from his apartment.
Silva wanted McCoy to burn off some energy, but instead the puppy bolted onto the street. Moments later, Silva found McCoy lying there after a car crashed into him.
“He was limping, screaming. And I see he had blood coming out of his face,” Silva recalled.
Despite being rushed to the vet immediately, McCoy died from his injuries that same day.