Unknown Disease Ends Shelter Adoptions 16 Dogs' Lives

March 28, 2008

TEXAS CITY, Texas -- Galveston health and animal control officials are working to determine what illness has infected dogs at the county’s animal shelter.

As of 3 p.m. EST, 19 canines had either died or been put down by animal control. According to Kurt Koopman, public information officer for Galveston County, the source of the infection is unknown. The illness has caused the shelter to temporarily end its adoption program.

Koopman said that symptoms shown by infected canines include nasal discharge, poor appetite, coughing, high body temperature, and diarrhea -- which are common among canine-related illnesses.

A necropsy on one of the dogs that has passed should determine specifically which illness has swept through the shelter. Koopman said distemper, kennel cough and parvovirus are all potential causes.

Animal control officials have taken a number of measures to prevent the disease from spreading. Sick dogs are now quarantined, adoptions have been temporarily stopped, and the only people that may enter the facility are animal control officials, shelter staff or those with lost pets.

The quarantined animals are being examined four times per day, and will be held in quarantine until, at the earliest, April 5 -- or 10 days after the last infected animal is identified.

A bit of good news for the ill animals came today when area veterinarian, Dr. Jackie Cole, donated vaccines for distemper, kennel cough and parvovirus to the shelter.

Koopman said once the results of a necropsy come back, shelter staff will be able to utilize those medications, if any of those diseases are the cause of the outbreak.

To find out how you can help the Texas City shelter, visit the Galveston County Health District Web site at gchd.org.

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Chris Paschenko, The Daily News, contributed to this article.