Athens Animal Services staff identified a dead dog with a contagious viral illness on Wednesday morning.
The virus, canine parvovirus (CPV), or parvo, is usually found in puppies under six weeks old before vaccination and in other unvaccinated dogs. The dog was vaccinated by staff during shelter intake, according to Athens-Clarke County officials.
According to shelter staff, the dog area of the shelter will be closed until Apr. 5. Until then, only shelter staff may enter the dog area. No visitors will be allowed to visit the dog area and all canine owner surrenders are prohibited. Owner reclaims are still allowed, however, staff says they will inform owners of their dog’s potential exposure to parvo, and ask owners to call their veterinarian if their dog falls ill.
Shelter staff have ordered an autopsy on the dog. If results show a false positive or other factors show that quarantine is no longer required, the shelter will reopen. The shelter is currently running an intensive cleaning of their facility and are taking steps to minimize exposure. While humans cannot contract the virus, they can accidentally spread parvo to dogs from human contact.
The shelter’s cat center will remain open, as shelter staff say that the facility’s design protects against their exposure to the virus.
