Dog owner hopes for change after ‘Brutus’ dies in fall from rooftop dog park

The owner of a dog who died in a fall from a rooftop dog park in downtown Kansas City is asking for change.

Brutus, the 2 1/2-year-old lab mix belonging to Patrick Cardona, fell from five stories to his death June 13.

Cardona, 31, was walking the dog off-leash on top of a parking garage near the intersection of Walnut and Main streets in the Power & Light District for the second time last Tuesday. The dog jumped onto the barrier at the edge of the park when Cardona saw him lose his footing. Brutus fell to the sidewalk below.

Cardona put his dog into his car and took him to the hospital. Once there, Cardona learned Brutus had a broken leg, head trauma and internal bleeding that he would not survive. The dog spent his last moments next to his owner before the euthanasia took effect.

Cardona said he hopes the Power & Light District will consider modifying the rooftop park to prevent a similar accident. Brutus was walking off-leash at the time of his death in a part of the park where leashes are required.

A spokeswoman for Cordish, the developer of the Power & Light District, said in an emailed statement the company is “evaluating changes that can be made.” The spokeswoman did not respond to an email requesting elaboration on the statement.

This story was originally published June 23, 2017 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Dog owner hopes for change after ‘Brutus’ dies in fall from rooftop dog park."