Humane Society closed until May 24 due to virus being found in dog
Out of what executive director Kelly Proudfit describes as “total caution,” the Washington Area Humane Society is closed to the public and volunteers until May 24 after one dog tested positive for parvovirus.
The dog was taken out of the shelter once it was discovered it had the virus and was treated by an emergency veterinarian. So far, it’s believed that it’s an isolated case and no other dogs caught the virus, which can lead to vomiting, diarrhea and death in extreme cases.
“No other dogs got sick,” Proudfit explained. The dog with the virus came to the shelter on Route 136 in North Strabane Township from the Avella area, and shelter staff first suspected the dog was ill on Sunday. Parvovirus is typically spread from dog to dog through infected feces and cannot infect humans.
“We think it’s an isolated case,” Proudfit said. “The staff caught it early.” The infected dog is more than a year old and came in as a stray. It had probably never received vaccinations or other forms of veterinary care, she added.
At the same time, the cat department at the humane society is experiencing an unrelated outbreak of giardia, which can cause diarrhea in cats. It probably came into the shelter through a group of stray kittens. As a result of both the parvovirus and giardia, shelter personnel are sterilizing the building.
In order to complete the work, the shelter is seeking donations of mop heads, towels, washcloths, garbage bags and Clorox bleach.
The shelter is also seeking donations to its animal relief fund, which helps cover the cost of treating sick animals.
The scrubdown of the shelter is happening about five months before the humane society is due to move into a new building located behind the current facility. It will come in at 10,000 square feet, and have space for 60 dogs and 60 cats. The new shelter is due to have an isolation unit for sick dogs and cats, so a complete shutdown will likely not happen in the new structure. Play yards for animal enrichment and comfortable cat condos are also planned.