14. The Ghost Dog of Prospect Park
For years, visitors to Prospect Park noticed a feral dog roaming around the grounds of “Brooklyn’s backyard.” Despite multiple reports, however, authorities couldn’t track down the elusive canine, described as a black and brown Cane Corso.
Soon enough, he gained a fan base, and visitors called him “Brooklyn,” “Prospero” — and most notably, the “Ghost Dog of Prospect Park.” NYPost even reported that regulars to the park would sabotage volunteers attempting to track him down. In May 2011, however, Prospero – who turned out to be a real dog and not a ghost – was finally caught after four years. It was discovered that he tested positive for Lyme disease and had bone fragments in his knee. Following a recuperative stay at the Sean Casey Animal Rescue shelter, he was eventually put up for adoption via a Facebook that called for a new guardian and experienced dog owner who would be “physically capable of handling him as well as emotionally capable of training him.”