Dog owners at hipster NYC park warned about prickly weeds that could hurt pups
Dog owners in hipster Brooklyn are barking mad over prickly weeds overtaking a popular local park that they worry could harm their precious pooches.
The dreaded invasive foxtail grass in the dog run at Bushwick's Maria Hernandez Park could be a danger to pets because its barbed seeds could scratch animals' skin, ears, eyes — and even lungs, worried owners railed.
'Last year a foxtail seed barb got lodged in our dog's inner eyelid and scratched her cornea,' resident Jasmine Colahan told The Post.
6 Pet owners at a popular Brooklyn dog run are blasting the city over its refusal to completely remove a plant that's dangerous to pooches.
Nicole Rosenthal/NY Post
Local Brendan Morrison, who has lived near the park for three years, said he was aware of the harmful grass — but noted 'there's obviously a lot of people moving into the neighborhood, and they probably don't know.
'There should be more awareness and maybe a sign for owners,' Morrison said. 'It's up to us to form a group and do it ourselves. The park's not going to do this, it's our responsibility as well.'
One park volunteer who runs the Maria Hernandez Park Dog Run Pack Instagram account said resident brought their concerns to the city but the grass was never fully removed.
'Since then, the foxtail grass has spread considerably throughout the park,' the volunteer told The Post.
But a spokesperson for NYC Parks maintained that the 'commonly occurring weed' is already under control as far as the agency is concerned.
'We work to manage it whenever it appears in our parks through regular cutting and trimming,' the spokesperson said. The agency urges 'New Yorkers to report issues with foxtail grass at any location via 311.'
Since Jan. 1, 2024, Parks has 'corrected' 74 weed/grass complaints in Bushwick, according to the city's 311 portal.
6 Two dogs play at Maria Hernandez Park's dog run in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
Rashid Umar Abbasi
6 Foxtail grass grows at the fence of the dog run at Maria Hernandez Park, where locals walk their mutts on- and off-leash.
Nicole Rosenthal/NY Post
Foxtail grass seeds can also get lodged into nasal passages and be inhaled into a pet's lungs, according to MedVet – and require surgery if a barb migrates into the chest or abdomen.
Multiple visits from a Post reporter to the park this spring found tall foxtail grass encroaching on the fence to the dog run – and no evidence of recent mowing.
6 'They don't even actually mow much anymore,' another Instagram user said of the Bushwick park's grass.
Nicole Rosenthal/NY Post
6 People walking dogs in Maria Hernandez Dog Park in Brooklyn.
Rashid Umar Abbasi
6 Bushwick native and dog owner Kevin pointed to the loose rat poison, dirty bathrooms and a massive rain puddle taking up a swath of the dog run as other growing concerns at the popular hipster park.
Nicole Rosenthal/NY Post
The matter of foxtail grass is just the latest qualm locals have at the park, where uncontained rat poison was found sprinkled near the children's playground and dog run in April.
'I don't know why they have such a hard time trying to fix this,' Bushwick native and dog owner Kevin told The Post of the foxtail grass — pointing to the loose rat poison, as well as dirty bathrooms and a massive rain puddle taking up a swath of the dog run, as other growing concerns at the popular park.
'Put something there, make it out of manure even,' he said of the foxtail grass patch, pointing to fertilizer's ability to crowd out weeds.
'It's going to smell weird, but it's definitely safer.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
I cut takeout out of my budget and started meal-planning. I feel better, save $300 a month, and don't waste groceries anymore.
After a long day of work, there's nothing like opening an app and ordering dinner from your couch. That comforting feeling of not having to decide what to cook — or do the dishes afterward — is hard to beat. When I lived with my partner, who doesn't know how to cook, I was juggling work and grad school. I didn't want to think about dinner — I just wanted something quick and easy. So we ordered out 2-3 times a week, which came out to about $150/month on takeout. During the pandemic, we started ordering takeou t almost every day — about 5-6 times a week. Suddenly, we were spending $350/month just on delivery, and most of it wasn't the healthiest: hamburgers and fries, fried chicken, or pasta. I'm lactose intolerant, which made it even more frustrating, as everything seemed to have milk or cheese. Even when I tried to avoid dairy, I couldn't be sure if a dish was truly safe. Sometimes I'd feel sick after eating, and still I kept ordering because of the convenience. On top of that, we were also spending $300-400 at the supermarket — mostly on meat and vegetables that I was too tired to cook, so they ended up in the freezer or the trash. Until a job offer forced a reset — and a fresh start Everything changed when I got a new job and had to relocate from Porto, Portugal, to Memphis, Tennessee, in December 2023, living apart from my partner for a year. While Porto may seem affordable from the outside, grocery prices can be surprisingly high for locals. When I moved to Memphis, I didn't feel a huge difference in grocery costs, but the shift in my lifestyle made all the difference. With my partner staying behind in Portugal for work, I was suddenly on my own, and motivated to spend less and waste less. I turned to the person who first taught me how to cook: my grandma. All the way from Portugal, we talked several times a week over WhatsApp calls, and she shared everything she knew about meal planning, how to cook meat and fish properly, tips for grocery shopping, and recipe ideas. Her guidance became my foundation for building new habits in the kitchen. Since I was moving into a new house, I also decided to organize my kitchen in a way that made sense, and I invested in the basics — good pots and pans, a blender, an air fryer, and airtight containers for leftovers. My first few shopping trips were expensive: I spent around $654 in one month stocking up on pantry staples like spices, flour, rice, canned goods, and oils. I also changed how I shopped. I started planning my meals ahead of time and shopping with intention. On Saturdays, I'd plan my route across Whole Foods, Kroger, and the local farmers market, buying fresh produce, fish, and whatever else was on my list. I followed Instagram recipe accounts for inspiration. I bought a meal-planning cookbook, and batch-cooked on weekends so weekday dinners would be less chaotic and faster. Eating better saved me money, and I also felt better Once I committed to cooking, I started to feel better, physically and mentally. I wasn't getting sick after dinner anymore. I even started sleeping better and lost a bit of weight without really trying. Six months later, my average monthly grocery bill was down to around $150. Once my partner relocated to Memphis in 2024, it bumped up to around $250 — not only is that less than we used to spend on groceries for the two of us together in Portugal, but it's also less than we used to spend on takeout alone. We're not spending less because food is cheaper here. What changed is how I shop: I go to the store with a list, I plan out meals in advance, and I only buy what I know we'll eat. Before, I had no structure — I'd go without checking what we already had at home, grabbing what I thought I might use, which led to a lot of food waste. Now, nothing sits forgotten in the fridge. I make sure we use everything we buy, and leftovers are stored and ready to be used for another meal. That shift alone has made our grocery budget much more efficient. As for eating out, we've turned it into something intentional. We usually go out twice a month for date nights, and spend around $150/month on those dinners — often trying new Asian restaurants or going out for a good steak. We've pretty much stopped ordering delivery entirely. Between the rising food prices, delivery fees, and added taxes, it just doesn't feel worth it anymore. More importantly, I feel in control. I was eating food that worked for my body, wasting less, and saving anywhere from $250-350 a month. Now, I can't imagine going back.
New York Post
15 hours ago
- New York Post
Dog owners at hipster NYC park warned about prickly weeds that could hurt pups
Dog owners in hipster Brooklyn are barking mad over prickly weeds overtaking a popular local park that they worry could harm their precious pooches. The dreaded invasive foxtail grass in the dog run at Bushwick's Maria Hernandez Park could be a danger to pets because its barbed seeds could scratch animals' skin, ears, eyes — and even lungs, worried owners railed. 'Last year a foxtail seed barb got lodged in our dog's inner eyelid and scratched her cornea,' resident Jasmine Colahan told The Post. 6 Pet owners at a popular Brooklyn dog run are blasting the city over its refusal to completely remove a plant that's dangerous to pooches. Nicole Rosenthal/NY Post Local Brendan Morrison, who has lived near the park for three years, said he was aware of the harmful grass — but noted 'there's obviously a lot of people moving into the neighborhood, and they probably don't know. 'There should be more awareness and maybe a sign for owners,' Morrison said. 'It's up to us to form a group and do it ourselves. The park's not going to do this, it's our responsibility as well.' One park volunteer who runs the Maria Hernandez Park Dog Run Pack Instagram account said resident brought their concerns to the city but the grass was never fully removed. 'Since then, the foxtail grass has spread considerably throughout the park,' the volunteer told The Post. But a spokesperson for NYC Parks maintained that the 'commonly occurring weed' is already under control as far as the agency is concerned. 'We work to manage it whenever it appears in our parks through regular cutting and trimming,' the spokesperson said. The agency urges 'New Yorkers to report issues with foxtail grass at any location via 311.' Since Jan. 1, 2024, Parks has 'corrected' 74 weed/grass complaints in Bushwick, according to the city's 311 portal. 6 Two dogs play at Maria Hernandez Park's dog run in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Rashid Umar Abbasi 6 Foxtail grass grows at the fence of the dog run at Maria Hernandez Park, where locals walk their mutts on- and off-leash. Nicole Rosenthal/NY Post Foxtail grass seeds can also get lodged into nasal passages and be inhaled into a pet's lungs, according to MedVet – and require surgery if a barb migrates into the chest or abdomen. Multiple visits from a Post reporter to the park this spring found tall foxtail grass encroaching on the fence to the dog run – and no evidence of recent mowing. 6 'They don't even actually mow much anymore,' another Instagram user said of the Bushwick park's grass. Nicole Rosenthal/NY Post 6 People walking dogs in Maria Hernandez Dog Park in Brooklyn. Rashid Umar Abbasi 6 Bushwick native and dog owner Kevin pointed to the loose rat poison, dirty bathrooms and a massive rain puddle taking up a swath of the dog run as other growing concerns at the popular hipster park. Nicole Rosenthal/NY Post The matter of foxtail grass is just the latest qualm locals have at the park, where uncontained rat poison was found sprinkled near the children's playground and dog run in April. 'I don't know why they have such a hard time trying to fix this,' Bushwick native and dog owner Kevin told The Post of the foxtail grass — pointing to the loose rat poison, as well as dirty bathrooms and a massive rain puddle taking up a swath of the dog run, as other growing concerns at the popular park. 'Put something there, make it out of manure even,' he said of the foxtail grass patch, pointing to fertilizer's ability to crowd out weeds. 'It's going to smell weird, but it's definitely safer.'
New York Post
21 hours ago
- New York Post
Popular cereal brand pulls fan favorite flavors from shelves — and fans are not happy about it: ‘I'm so sad'
If you noticed that some of your favorite Cheerios flavors have suddenly disappeared from shelves in the grocery store — you're not imagining things. The beloved General Mills cereal brand has decided to stop manufacturing three popular flavors: Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios Minis, according to an Instagram post by @the_cerealqueen. Advertisement While the Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios are OG flavors — first introduced in 2013 and 2017, the Honey Nut Cheerios Minis only came to fruition two years ago. The Post reached out to the brand for comment. As of now, it's unclear why these flavors have been pulled, especially since they each seem to have a following. Considering cereal is a breakfast staple in US households — 12% of Americans eat it daily, 18% enjoy a bowl three or four times a week and 23% indulge once or twice a week, according to CivicScience polling — many fans of the breakfast food are disappointed over this sad Cheerios news. Advertisement Some shared their thoughts in the r/cereal forum on Reddit: As of now, it's unclear why these flavors have been pulled, especially since they each seem to have a following. Bloomberg via Getty Images 'I don't think I've actually seen Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch for over a year. But losing Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios is a bigger shock—I didn't buy it as often as I should have,' one user wrote. 'Why tf would they cancel chocolate peanut butter?!' another disappointed customer grumpily asked. Advertisement 'RIP Medley Crunch,' another comment read. Others took to the @the_cerealqueen Instagram post to share how bummed they are. 'Whattttttt I loved the minis!!!!' read a comment. Advertisement 'awww wait these flavors look awesome im sad they won't be around!!' shared someone else. 'I'm so sad chocolate peanut butter cheerios were my favorite. 😟 it's always sold out or low stock at the stores I buy it from. I can't imagine it's due to low sales. I wonder if they are considering making it into the protein variety. Regular Cinnamon cheerios did, so maybe this will too,' another person questioned. The silver lining here is that despite these flavors sounding and probably tasting delicious, they most likely weren't the healthiest options. It turns out that these days, many breakfast cereals have more fat, sugar and sodium — and less nutritional value, according to a new study. The amount of sugar in many cereals rose by nearly 11% — and reportedly one bowl of the breakfast food exceeds 45% of the American Heart Association's daily recommended limit for children.
