Ingham shelter suspending dog, cat adoptions due to ringworm outbreak

MASON - Ingham County Animal Control officials are temporarily suspending some services because of a ringworm outbreak at the shelter in Mason.

The shelter has stopped accepting dogs from the public and won't do dog adoptions until Tuesday, officials said in a news release. It will not accept cats from the public or do cat adoptions until further notice.

Adoption events scheduled for this weekend and next weekend will be rescheduled.

As of Friday, three dogs and five cats were believed to have ringworm, a contagious fungal infection to the top layer of skin, officials said. The partial closing is expected to help limit exposure among animals and members of the public.

Office hours will stay the same, and the shelter will remain open to the public for dog license sales and "escorted" searches for lost pets.

Anybody who recently adopted or redeemed an animal from the shelter that's since been diagnosed with ringworm can contact the shelter for "medical assistance and treatment options," the news release said.

Officials are asking for donations of dry dog and cat food, as well as clean towels.

For information on shelter activities: http://ac.ingham.org/

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Contact Ken Palmer at (517) 377-1032 or kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.