Sicknesses shut Beaver County Humane Society. What to know

CENTER TWP. ― All canine consumption has been suspended and foster households are being sought because the Beaver County Humane Society offers with an overload of canines and a minor outbreak of kennel cough.

Only a number of canine have been impacted by the illness and none have required therapy past supportive care, the Center Township shelter reported Sept. 17.

“This has been a difficult summer for BCHS,” shelter consultant Olivia Miller mentioned in an electronic mail to The Times. “Dog adoptions are down nearly 10% compared to this time last year, and we’re receiving stray dogs in droves. Because of these compounding factors, we’ve closed dog owner surrender intake, and we’re asking folks who are interested in surrendering their dog to join our waitlist.

“At this time, we are able to’t venture once we’ll be capable to reopen canine proprietor give up consumption; nevertheless, shifting wholesome canine into foster houses will assist release kennel house in order that we are able to proceed doing what we do finest: Saving animals’ lives.”

As the shelter deals with the outbreak of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC), commonly known as kennel cough, it’s taking heavy precautions to limit transmission by quarantining exposed dogs, monitoring healthy dogs for signs of infection, and following quarantine-specific cleaning procedures.

“Once we discovered CIRDC in some of our dogs, we immediately began isolating sick dogs and initiating a deep clean of our shelter, with special attention on dog kennels and high dog traffic areas,” said Cailin Smith Rankin, shelter manager, in a press release. “The health and safety of our animals remain our highest priority, and we’ll continue monitoring both exposed and unexposed dogs for symptoms while following our quarantine cleaning protocol.”

Kennel cough is a highly contagious respiratory disease that affects dogs. Symptoms include a signature “honking” cough, runny nose, sneezing, lethargy and loss of appetite. In severe infections, kennel cough may develop into pneumonia. It’s most commonly caused by the bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica – otherwise known simply as Bordetella – but not always. The infection typically impacts dogs who have spent time with many other dogs such as in animal shelters, boarding kennels or dog parks.

The virus spreads from dog-to-dog contact, contaminated surfaces and airborne droplets.

“CIRDC is common at animal shelters,” Smith Rankin added. “Most shelters battle kennel cough at varying rates throughout a given year, so that means we’re well-prepared to mitigate spread and support any of our dogs who experience symptoms.”

According to BCHS Medical staff, the outbreak is mild, and treatment for sick dogs hasn’t extended beyond supportive care – much like how a human treats a common cold. All animals receive lifesaving and critical vaccines as soon as they arrive at the shelter, including the Bordetella vaccine for dogs. Healthy, vaccinated dogs exposed to CIRDC usually develop mild, if any, symptoms.

This outbreak, though minor, has been complicated by a particularly challenging summer at BCHS, which has seen a significant decrease in dog adoptions and an increasingly high volume of dog intake – either as surrenders or as strays – with no end in sight. Through quarantining exposed dogs, the shelter loses valuable kennel space, which limits its ability to bring in other animals who need care.

Due to a lack of kennel space and ongoing quarantines, the shelter is temporarily closing to dog owner surrenders to BCHS; however, the shelter can provide pet food through Vet’s Kitchen, its pet food pantry, until it can accept dog owner surrenders again.

“Getting our healthy, unexposed dogs into foster care is a priority right now,” Smith Rankin said. “It would be extraordinarily helpful for our staff who will be hyper-focused on cleaning and monitoring the exposed dogs for symptoms while also freeing up non-isolated kennels for other animals who need us.”

Since CIRDC is highly virulent, fostering sick and exposed dogs could put a foster family’s own dogs at risk.; however, if a foster family can create a dedicated space for a sick dog – isolated from any healthy dogs – fostering may still be an option. The shelter encourages anyone who may be interested in fostering dogs from BCHS to discuss any concerns about infectious disease transmission with their family veterinarian.

“Even a short period of time in a foster home would be a tremendous benefit to both a dog and our staff who work tirelessly to care for our homeless shelter animals,” Smith Rankin said. “We couldn’t be more thankful for the compassionate and dedicated foster families who ensure our animals are loved and well cared for as they wait for their forever families.”

Quarantine and other infectious disease protocols also increase BCHS’s need for volunteers to support the animals and staff. The shelter welcomes new volunteers who can walk exposed or sick dogs, clean kennels, and keep all the dogs –both in and out of quarantine – engaged in their regular enrichment activities.

Interested volunteers can visit the shelter website to learn more about volunteering at BCHS, or they can call724-775-5801, ext. 120.

At this time, BCHS remains open for adoptions during regular business hours. Anyone interested in fostering can visit the website to apply and learn more about fostering animals from BCHS, or they can call 724-775-5801, ext. 143.

Anyone interested in adopting can visit the website to browse all available dogs waiting for their forever home, or they can call 724-775-5801, ext. 116.