Moose The Dog Will Have Memorial Tree In Prospect Park

PROSPECT PARK, BROOKLYN — A tree will grow in Brooklyn's Prospect Park to honor Moose, the beloved dog that died after a man's unhinged attack.

A fundraiser surpassed its $4,500 goal right before a Wednesday application deadline from the Prospect Park Alliance to set up a memorial tree for Moose, the pup's owner Jessica Chrustic told Patch.

Chrustic, whose neighbor set up the fundraiser, said she'll soon pick a tree planting spot on the western side of Prospect Park, where she and Moose used to take daily walks. A planting ceremony will follow sometime between mid-April and mid-May, she said.

The tree is a chance not only to remember Moose — a two-year-old Golden Retriever mix who was Chrustic's constant companion — but to wipe away some of the pain that has stalked Chrustic in the months since the attack, she said.

"It would be nice to find a place where I can find comfort in that area again and have better memories,” she said.

Chrustic has seldom returned to her and Moose's beloved park since Aug. 3, when an unhinged man beat them both with a stick. Moose died of internal injuries days later and NYPD has since engaged on an unsuccessful — and controversial — hunt for the man.

The stick-wielding man has been a threatening presence in Prospect Park before and after the attack. Chrustic even was attacked a second time Oct. 21 after she said she followed police instructions to follow him, so he could be identified and arrested.

"No one should have to run from their attacker for a second time while waiting for police to arrive," she told Patch at the time.

Capt. Frantz Souffrant, after being confronted by Chrustic during a virtual meeting, agreed his 78th Precinct "dropped the ball." He later told Patch that his officers would "rethink" the investigation, but no arrests have been made.

The NYPD's case is still open, Chrustic said.

"I look forward to a resolution sooner or later and I really hope it’s not at the cost of someone being attacked,” she said.