Odessa Animal Shelter nearly killed 140 dogs over distemper scare

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In Odessa, Texas, the Odessa Animal Shelter has no veterinarian on staff, so when dogs started showing signs of respiratory distress nearly two weeks ago, shelter personnel may have jumped to the conclusion the dogs had all been exposed to distemper. An announcement on Facebook stated the shelter planned to euthanize 140 dogs.

“URGENT!!! Odessa, Texas Animal Control has released a statement saying ALL DOGS in the adoption building and the isolation building WILL BE KILLED if not out of the building before Close on Thursday (tomorrow) due to sneezing and coughing in some dogs. WE ARE NOT THE SHELTER!!! That is over 140 animals that will DIE!
We do not have pictures of all the dogs. If your dog is missing please go down there today with a picture of your animal and check because if you wait your dog WILL BE KILLED!! Odessa, Texas Animal Control 910 W 42nd Odessa, Texas,” the group Speaking Up for Those Who Can’t posted on their social media page.

Just days before the announcement, dozens of dogs had already been euthanized.

After the story was shared Austin Pets Alive! reached out to the shelter and offered to clean and disinfect the shelter as well as to help adopt out as many dogs as possible, emphasizing the shelter would only euthanize dogs that tested positive for the disease.

Testing conclusively determined none of the dogs tested positive, however the community is now looking into a solution for a shelter with dismal statistics of killing 80 percent of the cats entering the shelter and 56 percent of the dogs. The shelter has  76 kennels; most have more than one dog in them.

According to the OAOnline, community members are offering suggestions to raise funding for a new shelter which would include a section for isolating sick pets and an intake building for accepting lost and surrendered dogs and cats. Nothing about the possibility of a new shelter has yet to be discussed by the Odessa City Council at this time, however the priorities appear to be focused elsewhere as stated by City Manager Michael Marrero:

“Obviously, an animal shelter is certainly important and it’d be a valuable asset,” Marrero said. “But as a council, they’ll have to decide the whole scope of things, because we also need additional road improvements, additional fire stations. We need a number of things because of the growth of this community.”

Meanwhile owners need to spay and neuter their pets. Don’t entirely blame the shelters – pet owners have the power to help control the population of our pets and become more responsible and compassionate owners as well as the guardians of our four-legged friends.

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7 COMMENTS

  1. These places always want to euthanize everything! That sound more like kennel cough or plain old upper respiratory! These animals need care! So sad!

  2. Kill the potential germs easily. Colloidal silver in drinking water, especially on the intake. Hospitals use it . Safe for all beings. I never catch a cold or the flu by swallowing a dash of CS before grocery shopping or public exposure. 30 years now. Proven dogs are protected with Colloidal silver. 10 to 20 PPM at the drug store, animal supply and best right away so do it now. Someone in the area has a CS generator and it can be made for pennies with distilled water and the generator. Whoever has a generator please donate the solution fast as you can, save lives You can even save some with parvo by 2 enemas, a half hour apart. It cannot hurt It does not interfere with other meds, vitamins or care. Best treatment is small amounts, often==should you suspect an infestation please do it now and then read up on it. save lives. These innocents cannot suffer, please.

  3. These overcrowded shelters need to network online with other states who have practically empty shelters and transport some animals to those places. I know of two places in NY who take some animals from southern shelters as well as others from mid west facilities.

  4. I don’t understand why people do Not spay/neuter their dogs. if you can’t afford it, there are places that will do it for next to nothing. also a dog/cat/horse, any animal is a lifetime commitment so unless you want this Don’t get any animal.

  5. WTF!!! If there are ORGNIZATIONS and Volunteer’s Willing to Take up the CHALLANGE to RAISE FUNDING for ASSISTANCE with a NEW SHELTER or REMODELING the Existing ONE … This SO CALLED CITY MANAGER NEEDS to Get HIS HEAD OUT OF A DARK CREVICE and try and WORK With These INDIVIDUAL”S … TEXAS IN GENERAL IS NON_ANIMAL FRIENDLY… Must the RACIAL NON _DIVERSIY… OPEN YOU EYE DOWN THERE in the ONE STAR STATE!!!!

  6. It sounds like any poor dog that ends up in the Odessa Animal Shelter, is just disposable, This is NO shelter, it’s a death trap and seemingly run by a bunch of uncaring idiots. It’s easier to just kill them than to try to find out what is wrong with them and treat it. Another example of the mentality in some places in Texas!

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