Huck, a golden-retriever mix, recently jumped into Broad Branch, the small stream that runs along the Melvin Hazen trail, which is near the zoo in Rock Creek Park. Huck always jumps in Broad Branch. It’s part of his daily routine. What wasn’t part of his routine was coming home sick and lethargic because of something he swallowed in the water.

Huck’s owner, Tracy Sacks of Cleveland Park, describes the something as “oil/gasoline/petroleum stuff” and says Huck came home covered in it and was sick all night. So she made a few calls to the District Dept. of Environment, the National Park Service, and D.C. Fire & EMS describing the spill. To Sacks’ surprise, someone from the DOE called her back and even went down to the creek to check it out.

“He assessed that someone had dumped a couple gallons of turpentine, maybe five or six, and that it would wash away,” says Sacks.

So, thanks, to the fine citizen dumping chemicals into Rock Creek and its tributaries. Next time try the Benning Road Trash Transfer Station. It’s open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to take your hazardous, non-dog-friendly materials.