OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — A West Michigan animal shelter remained closed Monday amid an incident involving contagious parvovirus.
Harbor Humane Society took to Facebook to make the announcement after it said the cases—seven in total, including puppies and two adult dogs--were diagnosed Friday.
The shelter shut down over the weekend and remained closed Monday as the animals continued to receive treatment for the common, yet serious, highly-contagious condition.
Adhering to a pre-determined action plan, the group was placed in quarantine by shelter staff.
None of the staff members charged with treating the infected dogs, Harbor Humane said, had since been in contact with healthy animals.
The good news: all of the animals were expected to make a full recovery, the shelter related, ahead of an expected Tuesday reopening.
The flip side of this--you’ll remember Harbor Humane was one of the shelters that took on dogs investigators seized from embattled Norton Shores animal rescue Cober’s Canines, which authorities said had kept the animals under its care in deplorable conditions.
The subsequent rescue effort, Harbor Humane explained, had drained their cash reserves, making the present situation even more challenging to rectify.
“It's just been wonderful for us to get the support that we have from our community,” Jen Nuernberg, the Harbor Humane Society marketing director related. “We put a post up, we put an ask out for help, and our community just always steps up. We've raised now over $4,000… So we're grateful.”
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development describes canine parvovirus as a highly contagious condition which primarily spreads from dog-to-dog through contact with infected waste.
Here’s what they recommend:
“Number one thing is vaccination, vaccination, vaccination--get those routine vaccines on board,” Dr. Jennifer Calogero, an MDARD assistant state veterinarian noted. “Ideally, this will prevent any kind of potential situations for dog to dog transmission, especially in those areas where dogs congregate, such as shelters.”
There is no cure for parvovirus. Vets more or less manage the symptoms until the animal responds. It’s why veterinarians urge pet owners to adhere to a strict vaccination schedule.
The following preventative measures were also recommended:
- Ensure puppies are fully vaccinated before allowing them to interact
- Keep animals at home if they’re showing signs
- Clean-up after pets while walking them in public
Ahead of its Tuesday reopening, Harbor Humane Society asked anyone who is able to asking folks to consider donating paper towels, towels or blankets.
The shelter also encouraged anyone interested in adopting to visit Tuesday during the annual national ‘Empty the Shelters’ event, sponsored by the Bissell Pet Foundation.
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