A case of canine parvovirus has forced Appalachian Animal Rescue Center to close, halting adoptions and intakes until further notice.
“Our shelter is closed again for at least one week, possibly longer due to another parvo outbreak,” said Cathy Howman, the center’s director.
Howman hopes the virus has been contained and said that animals adopted recently are not at risk.
“She came in on Friday, and we’ve not let anything in or out of the building since Friday,” she said. “Dog walkers walked dogs on Saturday morning, but they were the big, outside dogs. “If no one else breaks out with it, we can reopen either Saturday or Monday. “If someone does break out with it, the count starts all over again at 10 days.”
The shelter currently houses about 40 dogs.
The incubation period once a dog has been exposed to the virus is three to 11 days.
““It was a scared little dog we took in,” Howman said. “She seemed OK except for hiding in the corner, which is normal for abandoned dogs. The next day the symptoms were very apparent. It broke on Friday afternoon,” Howman said. “On Saturday we saw all the symptoms and started giving her the meds.”
The impact of closing the shelter goes far beyond a single case of parvo, Howman said.
“We had to close three separate times last year for parvo, and it kills us,” Howman said. “Being closed means no adoptions and no intakes of cats or dogs. When you are a no-kill shelter this means you do not euthanize for space or put a time limit on any animals. It also means you have an ongoing veterinary bill because you do what is necessary to save the animal’s life. We do our best to raise money as we have a very limited budget.”
Howman said the shelter needs a separate quarantine.
“Part of the problem is we don’t have a real isolation room,” she said. “We have a room where we put them, but it’s inside the building, so when volunteers step into that room they can carry the virus all over the building.”
Howman said AARC is trying to raise money to buy a shed that could be retrofitted as a true isolation room.
“We need the money to do it,” she said. “I’ve written two grants specifically asking for money for that but have gotten nowhere.
The dog is being treated at Rabun Animal Hospital in Georgia.
Early symptoms of parvo include fever and lethargy, followed quickly by vomiting, diarrhea and then bloody diarrhea. This escalates to more problems such as dehydration, nausea, cramping and pain.
Howman offered this advice to help prevent parvo.
“First, make sure your puppy is vaccinated for this and other diseases,” she said. “All dogs are exposed to this virus, but puppies are more susceptible. If your adult dogs are properly vaccinated, this is usually not a problem.”
Unvaccinated puppies and those still in the process of vaccination should not be taken to public places are allowed to visit with other dogs, Howman said.
“Please do not let your puppy or dog roam,” she said.
The virus can survive for years in the grass and in the ground for years.
“We are now disinfecting the entire shelter with bleach and an anti-viral cleaner,” Howman said. “This means from top to bottom and in between, all crevices, cracks, wheels on the desk chairs, etc. to kill the virus. We have done everything we can do at this point.”
While the shelter is closed, anyone wanting to donate supplies can come to the door if any pets with them are inoculated, “but if you prefer just blow your horn and we will meet you outside,” Howman said.
The shelter is in need of blankets, towels and sheets.
For more information, call Appalachian Animal Rescue Center 828-524 4588.