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Jun 10, 2008 6:00 pm US/Central
Dogs Test Positive For Parvo At Irving Shelter
Pam Harris
IRVING (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
If you thought you might adopt a dog from the Irving Animal Shelter - you'll have to wait a while. Public adoptions have been halted after several dogs tested positive for the Parvo virus.
Four puppies adopted from the shelter over the weekend were all returned to the facility. Workers say all of them tested positive for Parvo. "Unknowingly we adopted out four animals that we thought were healthy," said City of Irving Animal Services Manager Fred Sanderson.
Parvovirus disease or Parvo is a highly contagious viral disease of dogs.
The disease attacks the gastrointestinal or cardiac systems and is spread from dog to dog by direct or indirect contact with feces.
Now animal shelter workers are on alert – trying to stop the virus from infecting any of the other 100 dogs being kept at the facility.
"We're just taking a proactive approach," Sanderson said. "We're stopping everything, sanitizing our shelter a little bit more and we're kinda watching." Each canine at the shelter is being tested for the virus.
"Parvo in a young puppy is like 50-80 percent fatal," Sanderson explained. "So I don't want to have to have any potential adopters bonding with an animal, taking it home and having that experience."
Treating Parvo is very expensive and workers at the shelter say unfortunately if any dogs test positive for the virus they will be euthanized. Shelter employees are contacting rescue groups and allowing them to pull any dog at the shelter for treatment.
"As the rescues call in we'll put the name of the rescue on the kennel card for the dog and that means don't euthanize it, because this rescue is going to get it," explained shelter volunteer Russell Posch.
Monday 12 dogs were rescued. Rescue groups took five dogs today and several more animals have been 'tagged' to be rescued Wednesday.
Betty Wiley works with the Angels Rescue of North Texas and came to the shelter to pick up several dogs. "We do whatever it takes to get 'em healthy and well. If we take any of them out and they wind up with Parvo, if they're salvageable, they get that chance."
Experts say the best way to prevent a dog from getting Parvo is to make sure they receive preventative vaccination.
Irving Animal Shelter workers say every dog that comes into the facility gets vaccinated, but sometimes they already have the disease and it's too late.
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