Chains came off the gate at Nuevo Dog Park on Monday after a third-party environmental consultant found no harmful substances — but also no explanation for why five dogs got sick there last summer.

The chains came off the gate at Nuevo Dog Park on Monday, June 16, ending a 10-month closure of a 9,000-square-foot patch of artificial turf and landscaped green space at Ryder Street and La Rambla Avenue in Santa Clara.

The park shut down in August 2025 after five dogs reportedly fell ill following visits. One of them died in late July 2025. The city had no clear cause, so it hired Essel Environmental, a third-party consultant, to test the park's surfaces for anything a dog might touch, sniff, or taste: the artificial turf, fallen leaves, plant debris, common landscaping plants, soil, and drinking water.

Essel's report, released alongside the reopening announcement, found no harmful substances and no evidence that the park caused the reported illnesses. The firm also noted that the symptoms described by owners varied enough that they pointed to no single toxin or pattern. In other words: clean test results, and no resolution for what happened to those dogs.

Santa Clara's press release called the findings sufficient to reopen. "We are confident the park is safe," the city said.

During the closure, the city upgraded the fencing and signage. On Monday morning, one of the two entry gates was stuck shut and required a Parks Department worker with a grinder to service it. By afternoon, the park was open — and empty of visitors.

Source: NBC Bay Area / Bay City News (Valerie Conklin), reporting by Valerie Conklin; Santa Clara city press release.