Humane Society reopens for dog adoptions after Parvo outbreak

HENDERSON - The Humane Society of Henderson County is once again open for adoptions of and/or receiving dogs.

The agency suspended those activities more than two weeks ago after a Parvo outbreak claimed the lives of seven puppies.

Angela Hagedorn, executive director, said Monday that the ban has been lifted due to the absence of any further outbreaks within the shelter.

Parvo is an extremely contagious and deadly virus which causes loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea.

While the dogs in the shelter appear free of the virus, Hagedorn told The Gleaner that it seems there is still several active cases in the community.

"We haven't had any outbreaks in the shelter, but we are having people come in to have their dogs tested and the dogs are testing positive for Parvo," she said.

Hagedorn said none of the dogs tested are allowed in the building because the virus is so easily spread. She said the tests are performed in the parking lot to help prevent the virus from entering the facility.

"A lot of people may not have the funds to go to a vet and have the full workup so we have a test that we can give for a small fee. If a dog tests positive, we tell the owners what their options are, and it's up to them to decide how they want to manage," she said.

Since so many people have been coming to have their dogs tested, Hagedorn said the shelter decided to remain closed to adoptions or receiving dogs a little longer than recommended.

"We just didn't want to risk that anything would get transferred to the dogs in the shelter. We didn't want anything slipping through the cracks. We have a skeleton crew on the weekends. So I made the decision that we'd stay closed through weekend," she said.

Hagedorn said the agency has tested at least a dozen dogs for people, and many of those tested positive for the virus.

"Even the local vet that we use, said she's seen an uptick of dogs testing positive for Parvo," Hagedorn said.

"I'm not sure why but maybe people aren't getting their dogs vaccinated like they should," she said.

When the initial Parvo outbreak occurred the first week in September, Hagedorn said it was likely brought into the facility from an outside source. She said the agency never brings a dog into the shelter unless it's been tested first for Parvo.

"Parvo is an extremely contagious and easily spread virus. It's a deadly virus and it can be transmitted in two different ways, direct or indirect contact," Hagedorn said in a Humane Society Facebook post.

"Direct contact occurs through the nose and mouth by infected feces which can happen when a dog sniffs or licks another dog that has been contaminated with feces or through surfaces that are contaminated. Indirect contamination occurs because it can survive on clothing, equipment, human skin and in the environment. Indirect transmission occurs when a dog comes into contact with a contaminated person, object or environment."