Parvo outbreak sweeps through Yamhill County communities

NEWBERG, Ore. — Pet health experts say dog owners in Yamhill County need to be diligent in protecting their dogs from Parvovirus.

"Anybody who's been to the dog park in the past week would probably need to be looking for signs in the next week or two," said Dr. Kathryn Ellis, a veterinarian at the Family Pet Clinic of Newberg.

Word spread Tuesday on the "Lost and Found Pets of Yamhill-Carlton Oregon" Facebook page. A post warned that Parvo had been contracted at a local farm and that affected dogs had been to dog parks in Newberg and McMinnville.

"Unfortunately, it can live in the environment for months up to years," said Dr. Ellis. "It gets into the soil, so unless the area is cleaned with Clorox or a very hard freeze affects the virus, it is quite stable."

In fact, KATU News discovered the Newberg dog park was closed Wednesday night. The Chehalem Parks & Recreation District was using a bleach solution to clean affected areas.

"We used a 50/50 mix of bleach and water recommended by the vets, and we shut down the park and we let it set for pretty much all day," said park superintendent Casey Creighton.

Lost and Found Pets of Yamhill-Carlton Oregon also says the affected dogs also went to the dog park in McMinnville on Northeast Riverside Loop and the dog park outside of McMinnville on Baker Creek Road. They also went to the local parks Discovery Meadows and Yamhill Locks Park.

The American Kennel Club provides dog owners with what they need to know about Parvo. Dr. Ellis says it can be a nasty virus that affects young puppies and unvaccinated dogs.

"We do not recommend that puppies under 16 weeks of age or those that have not completed their Parvo vaccine series attend dog parks," she said.