CUMBERLAND, Maine — Officials in the Town of Cumberland are warning people to stay away from water at the town's parks because of the possible presence of a toxic algae.
It comes after a Facebook post over the weekend reported the deaths of two dogs tied to suspected blue-green algae exposure at the Twin Brooks Recreation Area.
"We're asking that people avoid contact with any bodies of water," Whitney Miller, the town's communications director, told NEWS CENTER Maine. "We really want to air on the side of caution."
Officials said the algae can thrive in stagnant water, especially in warm temperatures. It can be highly dangerous to humans and to animals.
According to Miller, the town is working with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to test the water this week.
On Saturday, Elayna Girardin posted to the "Cumberland & North Yarmouth Residents" Facebook group warning fellow dog owners after she said her dogs had to be put down.
"This week I had to put to sleep my 2 sweet dogs," Girardin wrote. "We got the test results back and suspected the had blue-green algae toxicity."
Girardin did not return NEWS CENTER Maine's request for comment but said in the post that she had recently walked one of her dogs at Twin Brooks.
"I don't want anyone to go through what our family did," she wrote.