Las Vegas Valley animal shelters recovering, opening again after outbreak of canine influenza
By C.C. McCandless, Justine Verastigue
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LAS VEGAS, Nevada (KVVU) — Animal shelters throughout the Las Vegas valley are recovering after an outbreak of canine influenza.
FOX5 reached out to the Animal Foundation, Nevada SPCA and Henderson Animal Care for updates on their animals after our previous report of shelters confirming positive tests.
The Animal Foundation says there are 106 dogs in the shelter showing symptoms of canine influenza. As of Monday evening, the shelter had 197 dogs available for adoption.
Officials say some dogs have never been sick or exposed to the virus while others are still in or coming out of isolation.
The Nevada SPCA says a majority of dogs have been cleared. They told FOX5 Monday evening that their adoption floor is open to the public, but they are not allowing any dog-to-dog meet and greets to prevent chances of bringing the virus back in the shelter.
Some dogs are still in quarantine as they still need to be cleared by a veterinarian.
“We encourage dog owners to speak to their veterinarians to see if the canine influenza vaccine may be right for their dog’s lifestyle, particularly if they frequent dog parks, grooming or boarding facilities etc., as CIV may still be circulating in the community,” the NSPCA said.
Henderson Animal Care and Control announced that it is resuming normal operations.
According to a media release, normal operations will resume on Tuesday. The shelter noted that this includes about 25% of the dogs currently at the shelter who were previously quarantined and will now be available for adoption.
Approximately 60 other dogs are still under quarantine due to exposure and/or positive tests. The shelter says testing is being completed weekly, and that “all involved are working extremely hard to care for and assist these dogs back to health.”
The facility encourages anyone interested to visit and adopt a “forever friend.” It added that staff and volunteers are working “around the clock” to provide premium care to its animals.
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