Disease puts APL dogs off-limits

By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

June 10, 2009 12:44 am

— KINGSVILLE TOWNSHIP — An outbreak of a viral disease has put the Ashtabula County Animal Protective League’s dog kennels on quarantine for two weeks, officials said Tuesday.
Parvovirus, or “parvo,” was diagnosed Monday in at least one dog kept at the Green Road facility. As a result, the dog portion of the shelter will be shut down for two weeks, said Tammy Dondorfer, APL animal welfare director.
The shelter will reopen for dog adoptions on June 23, Dondorfer said. The portion of the shelter devoted to cats remains open to the public, she said.
An estimated 80 dogs are at the shelter, Dondorfer said. The quarantine will delay the arrival of a rescue group scheduled to remove some of the animals, and all adoptions are on hold, she said.
“This postpones everything,” Dondorfer said.
Per APL protocol, affected areas of the shelter will be scrubbed thoroughly with household bleach, Dondorfer said. “We’ve really started to clean,” she said.
The APL is in “desperate need” of bleach, and donations will be gratefully accepted, she said.
The last outbreak of parvo occurred last year. The APL changed procedure as a result, but Monday’s reoccurrence proves the virus is hard to prevent, Dondorfer said.
Parvo is generally found in the excrement of infected dogs, according to Internet sources. People can expose dogs to the virus via their shoes or hands if they have inadvertently come in contact with infected material. Puppies and older dogs are most at risk because of their lower immune systems.
Initial symptoms are high fever, lethargy, depression and a loss of appetite.
Parvo can be fatal in very young puppies. Dogs that recover generally will be weakened the rest of their lives.