A contagious virus has reached Orlando County Animal Services, leaving the acceptance of strays and surrenders at a temporary standstill. The pause in sheltering new pups, effective immediately as of Sept. 8, came after canine pneumovirus was found in one animal at OCAS.
The highly contagious virus is a respiratory disease that can cause dogs to sneeze, cough, have a runny nose or fever, and, more severely, experience trouble breathing.
According to a Facebook post by OCAS, one case of the virus has been reported, but the shelter suspects several other dogs have fallen victim to the illness. The presence of the disease, commonly known as “kennel cough,” leaves the shelter with no choice but to limit contact between its animals, the post read.
While there will be no new dogs entering the shelter, adoptions will take place as usual. The adoption fee for “ready to go” animals will be waived.
“We recommend keeping a new adopted dog separate from a resident dog, to give it time to acclimate to the home, as well as to monitor for any possible health issues,” OCAS wrote.
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This article appears in Sep 6-12, 2023.