A case of parvovirus (parvo) at the Middlesex County Animal Shelter has caused the facility to close in order to contain the highly contagious disease.
• Shelter is on lockdown
• Dog Park is closed
• Vaccinate your dogs
Shelter Manager Barrett Worley said a dog with parvo was surrendered to the shelter March 7. Another dog at the shelter, named Rusty, contracted parvo but he was treated and is recovering but remains quarantined, he explained.
Worley and Assistant Manager Allison Morales have been working long hours, seven days a week, repeatedly cleaning and decontaminating the facility. “It’s such a nasty disease, we are going to do everything we can to contain it,” said Worley, who is also a registered nurse. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve been through in my life.”
Dogs at the shelter are confined, and volunteer dog walkers are not able to take the dogs outside.
The strategy has worked because only one other dog (Rusty) contracted parvo, and he has survived.
Support
An outpouring of support has helped Worley through these trying times. Personnel with experience battling parvo have told Worley that dealing with parvo is one of the hardest things he will deal with at a shelter.
“It’s a trial by fire, and it can’t get much hotter… I don’t know when it’s going to be over.”
The Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society has assisted and showed him how to set up a regiment and quarantine dogs.
Veterinarians at the Hartfield Animal Hospital have assisted the shelter, as has the staff at Coastal Animal Referral Emergency (CARE) in Williamsburg.
Worley said he hopes that this outbreak of parvo will lead to new policies at the shelter, that could include vaccinating dogs who are brought in.
Middlesex Pet Friends for Life
Middlesex Pet Friends for Life has helped in many ways, said Worley. “What they do for the shelter and their kindness is unmatched.”
“Right now, the shelter is on lockdown,” said Cate Ogden, president of the Middlesex Pet Friends for Life (MPFL) Board of Directors. “They’re having to clean everything with bleach, having to use PPE (personal protective equipment), clothing and protection. The shelter is closed and the adjacent dog park is closed until further notice. It’s going to probably be for about two weeks.”
Ogden added, “It’s just important that people know that the shelter is not open, and can’t take dogs, or cats, and the (MPFL) dog park is closed. Also, we had to get rid of all the dog toys that were used in the park and the agility equipment. If you could put a plea out to the public to, you know, donate, that sort of thing, we’d appreciate it.”
Middlesex Pet Friends for Life, an all-volunteer, nonprofit 501c3 charitable organization, accepts donations, which can be sent to P.O. Box 145, Saluda, VA 23149 or made online at middlesexpetfriends.wordpress.com.
Get vaccinated
Parvo is spread through feces, according to veterinarians. Puppies should get vaccinated at eight weeks of age, Worley said. Adult dogs should receive vaccines annually for their continued protection. “It can be a matter of life and death for your dog, but also others. Parvo is a highly contagious and a nasty disease.”
