Katie the Dog and Her 364 Rats
Katie, a 4-year-old dog with a mix of Chihuahua, pug, rat terrier, and mutt, has become a secret weapon in the war on rats in New York City. With her owner, Sarah Darby, Katie has been hunting rats in Prospect Park and the surrounding neighborhoods, and has already killed 363 rats this year.
Katie’s obsession with rats began when she was adopted from a shelter in Texas in 2022. Not long after, Ms. Darby noticed that Katie was interested in chasing rats in a playground. By 2023, Katie had bagged 115 rats, and this year she’s closing in on 500.
Despite Mayor Eric Adams’ efforts to combat the rat problem, including moving trash bags from sidewalks into bins, Katie has found an endless supply of prey. The city’s rat czar, Kathleen Corradi, is introducing comprehensive pest management techniques in four “Rat Mitigation Zones,” but in Katie’s neighborhood, rat sightings are up 11 percent since last year.
Before each hunt, Ms. Darby folds paper towel sheets into perfect crisp rectangles and slips them into her purse. Katie weighs 12 ½ pounds and is about 4 years old. She is 28 percent Chihuahua, 16 percent pug, 16 percent rat terrier and 40 percent mutt.
Ms. Darby is skeptical of the city’s efforts to combat the rat problem, and believes that Katie’s hunting skills are more effective than any commercial rat baits. She also feels bad for the rats sometimes, but loves Katie more. “I grew up on a farm with a Border collie,” she said, “so I know what it looks like when a dog is doing the job that they were born to do — so alert and so alive in every molecule. And I recognized that in Katie.”
After each hunt, Ms. Darby brings Katie home and washes her paws. If Katie has gotten bitten, Ms. Darby swabs the cut with chlorhexidine and bribes her with treats to stay still. Sometimes they play toss-and-catch with a chew toy to unwind.
Ms. Darby has grown to enjoy the nightly adventure, and has even developed new techniques with Katie. They demonstrated one on Second Street in Park Slope, at a cluster of three bulging bags in front of a handsome brownstone. Ms. Darby jiggled one of the bags, and Katie saw a ripple move beneath the skin. Katie chomped down and ripped a rat out through the plastic.
Despite the challenges of hunting rats, Ms. Darby and Katie have become a team. “My life is not very crazy otherwise,” she said, “and this is an aspect of my life that’s like, totally bonkers.”
