A highly contagious and deadly disease has reared its ugly head at an animal control agency in Arizona and staff is trying to bring it to an end. A quarantine has been extended at the East Maricopa County Animal Shelter and 49 dogs have been euthanized since June 3, reports AZ Family.
The disease wreaking havoc at the facility is distemper. Canine distemper is readily prevented by vaccinations, but many strays taken in at the facility have never had the injection which could have saved their life.
The tight quarters at the animal control facility only serve to make things worse. A shelter volunteer, who chose to remain anonymous, told the news agency:
It’s trying to do the impossible with very little. The shelter, because of its age, is really falling apart inside. The conditions are very dirty inside the shelter. The cement is cracked, the rebar is coming through
Jose Santiago, a shelter spokesman added:
The kennel spaces are tighter because they’re smaller. The dogs are closer together in their kennels. They face each other closer than they do in the West Shelter. All of those could be breeding ground for this virus that’s airborne.”
Dogs not showing signs of distemper are being adopted out and/or moved to foster homes. Learn more about helping at this link.
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Sounds like they should have asked for help a long long time ago!