An animal shelter in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, temporarily shut down after dozens of dogs contracted canine influenza.
Blue Chip Farm Animal Refuge, home not just to dogs but also cats, rabbits, horses, goats and pigs, had to suspend its operations due to a virus outbreak infecting dogs, according to ABC affiliate WNEP-TV.
“A few of our dogs started to get diarrhea, but that’s pretty normal for dogs that are in a new stressful environment. When our longer-term dogs started to get diarrhea and started not wanting to eat, we realized they weren’t themselves, that’s when we knew something was wrong,” shelter volunteer Emma Ripka told the outlet.
Shelter staff said the virus has already infected at least 25% of their 40 dogs at the facility. Ripka explained that they shut down to prevent the disease from spreading.
“So that’s why we’re trying our best by closing down for a little bit to stop the spread so that it’s only in certain areas, and it doesn’t go any further,” she said.
In a Facebook post, the shelter stated that humans could not contract the virus. However, they could bring it home and infect their pets, causing the disease to spread.
“It’s not just in shelters. Neighborhoods can pass it around from dog to dog. Really be attentive to your pet, if they’re acting different than normal, if they have any GI issues or upper respiratory issues, definitely get them to the vet as soon as possible just to check out their symptoms,” Ripka added.
It’s not just the Luzerne County facility that got hit by the virus. Rescue workers said other shelters across the country are experiencing the same situation.
Not too far from Luzerne, the Speranza Animal Shelter in Cumberland County also got into crisis mode when all 50 of its dogs got sick at the same time.
The facility initially thought it was due to canine influenza, so it sent out samples for testing. In a social media update, the shelter revealed that none of the dogs tested positive for canine…
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