Verified incident record · 2026-08-26

Multiple people hospitalized after Hempstead park dog attack

Hempstead police said a loose dog attacked people near a playground at Kennedy Memorial Park before an officer shot the animal; at least two people were hospitalized.

Hospitalized (at least two people transported)Belgian shepherd (owner-reported)Hempstead, NY

Date2026-08-26 · About 1:00 p.m. EDT

LocationKennedy Memorial Park

Victim(s)At least 2 people

Dogs involved1 dog

Injury severityHospitalized (at least two people transported)

Breed attributionBelgian shepherd (owner-reported)The dog owner told News 12 that the dog was a 6-year-old Belgian shepherd. Police attribution in the source reviewed did not independently identify breed, so BiteDB records this as owner-reported.

What the record currently shows

Incident summary

Hempstead police responded to Kennedy Memorial Park after reports of a loose aggressive dog. Police said the dog was actively attacking people near a playground; an officer shot and killed it to stop the attack. Witnesses described at least two people being attacked, and officials said at least two people were taken to hospitals.

Legal-status note

The dog was removed by animal control after being shot. The source reviewed did not report charges or a dangerous-dog adjudication.

Media & source coverage

Video, reporting and source material

BiteDB embeds media only when a source-hosted player is suitable for embedding. News photographs and footage remain with their publishers unless reuse rights are clear.

↗Original source mediaNews 12 video/report pagePublisher-hosted video/reporting; media remains with the source.

Source provenance

Primary record used by BiteDB

Dog fatally shot by Hempstead police after attacking multiple people in parkLocal television reporting citing Hempstead police and witnesses · Published 2026-08-26 · Accessed 2026-08-26

News 12 reported that Hempstead police responded around 1 p.m. to Kennedy Memorial Park, where a loose dog was actively attacking people near a playground. Police shot the dog, and at least two injured people were transported to hospitals.

Open original source ↗

Data-quality notes

What BiteDB does not infer

Breed is recorded only at the provenance level shown above. Missing injury details, dog history, ownership facts or circumstances remain unknown unless a reliable source establishes them. This record may be updated as police, animal-control, medical, court or follow-up reporting becomes available.