The public animal shelter in Maryland’s Prince George’s County has closed indefinitely and halted adoptions to combat a mysterious dog illness sweeping the nation.
Officials said Thursday night they had closed the Prince George’s County Animal Services Facility and Adoption Center to “initiate quarantine protocols to stop the spread of the disease and to treat dogs who are ill” while they conduct tests.
“As we are seeing an uptick of this disease strike shelters nationwide, we are acting out of an abundance of caution to help stop the spread of this disease,” said David Fisher, associate director of the county’s Division of Animal Services. “The best place for a dog to be at this time is in a home being watched carefully by their owner.”
On Friday, the county would not confirm how many dogs had gotten sick, recovered or died from the respiratory disease. No agency has reported the number of infections nationally.
Chrissy Joy, a dog trainer at a facility in Brandywine, said the infectious respiratory virus has spread to at least 18 states.
She noted that symptoms include persistent cough, runny nose or eyes, low-grade fever, sluggishness and decreased appetite.
“At this time, it is best to avoid places where other dogs may traffic heavily, such as dog parks, pet stores and the like,” Ms. Joy told The Washington Times. “However, there are still many safe walks and activities you can do with your dog outside of the home.”
According to some veterinarians interviewed Friday, the virus spreads most often through communal water bowls or dogs sneezing or coughing on each other. While some dogs recover within two weeks, others have died.
“As a veterinarian, I’m encouraging all pet owners to keep their dogs current on vaccines and safe at home and out of dog parks, doggie daycares and other public areas until we know more about what is causing this illness,” said Dr. Jaime Pickett, CEO and president of Hannah Pet Hospitals in Oregon.
Dr. Thomas Pool, senior veterinarian for Animal Wellness Action, a Washington advocacy group, chalked up the outbreak to a seasonal spike in “kennel cough” illnesses such as canine influenza.
He said forced-air heating systems in U.S. pet care facilities create low humidity, which puts dogs at risk from October to March each year.
“If I had to bet my boat, I would bet that we are just having a worse-than-usual dog respiratory disease year, and possibly not even that,” Dr. Pool said.
“Just like with COVID in humans, the dogs who get the sickest are those with comorbidities,” he added. “So if your dog is very old, obese, diabetic, has heart disease, etc., you should be especially vigilant.”
Prince George’s County officials said that while the infected dogs were receiving antibiotics, they could not confirm whether the illness was canine influenza.
During the shelter’s quarantine, Prince George’s County will allow pets to leave only under the following conditions:
• They are returning to their owners.
• An adoption is in process and the pet shows no signs of illness.
• The pet is under consideration for fostering and shows no signs of illness.
County officials said owners retrieving dogs must sign a waiver acknowledging the possibility of illness.
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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