Dog Owner Warns After Creek Infection Near Hinckley

Dog Owner Issues Urgent Warning After Scary Creek Infection

A local dog owner is sharing a serious warning after a frightening experience at West Canada Creek below the Hinckley Dam, saying pet owners need to be extremely careful.

Donna VanDamme says she took her dogs—Harley and Hank—to play fetch in the water on June 8 and again on June 11. She says it’s something they’ve done before without any issues, but this time ended very differently.

From Fun in the Water to Painful Infections

By Friday, June 12, Donna noticed “wet” spots appearing on her dogs’ heads and faces. Within hours, those spots spread and developed into open, oozing sores.

She also noted something unusual about the water itself—at first glance it looked fine, but once the dogs were actually in it, it appeared muddy or “mucky,” which she says was not typical for the area.

Bacterial Infection Linked to Algae Bloom

A trip to urgent care followed, where Donna says she spent about seven hours and over $1,200 before learning the dogs likely contracted a severe moist bacterial infection, possibly linked to an algae bloom in the water.

Both dogs are now on antibiotics and pain medication and slowly improving—but the experience has been traumatic.

Harley Hit the Hardest

Donna says her 5-year-old Dudley Labrador, Harley, suffered the most. She notes that Dudley Labs have a pigment gene defect, which may have made him more vulnerable to the severity of the infection.

Harley is still not himself. "He’s still hiding behind our couch and in the bathroom all day. He’s not the same dog for some reason."

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Frustration Over Reporting Concerns

Donna says she tried reaching out to multiple agencies including the Herkimer County Health Department, NYS Department of Health, and the DEC office in Utica, but didn’t get immediate help or follow-up.

The Watertown DEC has since reached out and told Donna someone from Utica would be sent to investigate the area.

“I Just Don’t Want This to Happen to Anyone Else”

Donna, who owns a camp in Russia but lives in Phelps in the Finger Lakes, says she’s sharing her story to warn other pet owners.

Her message is simple—be careful with dogs in local creeks and rivers right now, especially since the water looked normal at first but turned muddy or “mucky” once they were in it.