A Halifax man is devastated after his dog fell into a sinkhole at a city park and had to be put down, and local dog owners are blaming city officials for not doing enough to prevent the incident.

Mike Goneau brought his 10-year-old dog Bear to the Mainland Common dog park on Saturday. Goneau says he let his dog off leash and watched him run into a grassy area.

A few moments later, he heard a horrible yelp.

“I heard a scream and a wail and a cry that I’ve never heard from an animal before,” Goneau told CTV Atlantic.

Bear had fallen into a deep sinkhole hidden by tall grass. The dog suffered a broken shoulder, and a veterinarian recommended that the best option was to euthanize the animal.

The sinkhole was large enough for a person to fit inside, and the surrounding area is dotted with other holes and depressions.

Local dog owners are familiar with the treacherous area at the park. Dog owner George Hickey says he raised concerns about the holes with two Halifax city counsellors in June.

“It’s a (Halifax) park, so it’s their responsibility to make sure that there’s a standard of safety,” Hickey said. “A dog or a person was bound to fall into one of those holes and get hurt.”

Municipal officials say sinkholes in the area have been filled before, but it’s not as simple as topping them up with dirt, according to Halifax Regional Municipality spokesperson Brendan Elliott.

“When there’s some rain, it’ll just wash away. So we need to put sandstone or gravel,” Elliott said.

Fences were installed in the area Monday afternoon to close off the problem area. The holes will be marked until a permanent solution is in place.

The municipality is also considering having staff monitor the area on a weekly basis.

Goneau said he’s happy to see some action taking place, but he’s still upset his dog died.

“I want every dog that does come here to play here in safety,” he said.

With files from CTV Atlantic