As a dog owner and pet lover myself, I was initially appalled when I learned of the outbreak of distemper at the Bastrop County Animal Shelter that led to the closing of the pound and the euthanization of over 40 dogs since mid-June. The more I mulled it over, though, I realize that the actions taken by staff there were highly thought-out and completely unavoidable.
“They were extreme circumstances, they were doing horrible, they were having neurological problems, breathing problems, respiratory and they had to be put down,” said Erica Thompson, director of animal services in Bastrop County. “Everyone needs to be aware, whatever this is, it did not start at this animal shelter. An animal came in with it.” Thompson also noted that those who were euthanized had fevers of 103 degrees.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (more commonly known as the ASPCA), “canine distemper is a virus that affects a dog’s respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems, as well as the conjunctival membranes of the eye…There is currently no available medication that can destroy the virus that causes canine distemper. Rather, supportive care is the mainstay of treatment. Some dogs are able to survive the infection, while for others canine distemper can be fatal.”
I am thrilled to hear that the animal shelter will be opening its doors again to the public beginning tomorrow, July 29th. I would also like to take this time to praise the clinic for being so proactive in their avoidance of a widespread outbreak. The distemper virus is spread between dogs, skunks, foxes and other animals through direct contact with fresh urine, blood or saliva. This means that a sneezing pup at the dog park or a sick dog sharing a water bowl with your fur-baby could have detrimental effects on your pets’ health. I commend their swift action—from the testing done with the Texas A&M Veterinary Clinic to confirm the diagnosis to the heart-wrenching decision to shut the doors and put any sick animals to sleep, not only was the shelter able to save the lives of 262 dogs, but they may have prevented such a catastrophic event from happening on a much wider scale. Just imagine if the staff there had not been as diligent in their observations or as knowledgeable as to dangers of distemper. Even one infected animal getting adopted out could have led to a canine epidemic.
The Bastrop County Animal Shelter may well have kept your four-legged friends protected, as I feel they did mine. By ringing the alarm and shutting the doors so early, I believe that they performed exceptionally well in a time of crisis. It is difficult to think about those 40 dogs that had to be put to sleep, but at the end of the day, I know that many will rest more soundly knowing that their pets are safe and that the Bastrop County Animal Shelter did what they had to for the greater good.
According to KXAN “the shelter is currently at maximum capacity, so they’re holding a special adoption event on Saturday, August 1 from 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Adult pets over one year will be $25. Cats less than one-year-old will be $45 and dogs less than one-year-old will be $75.” Spread the word, and let’s get those animals into some good homes and the Bastrop County Animal Shelter back on their feet!
“They were extreme circumstances, they were doing horrible, they were having neurological problems, breathing problems, respiratory and they had to be put down,” said Erica Thompson, director of animal services in Bastrop County. “Everyone needs to be aware, whatever this is, it did not start at this animal shelter. An animal came in with it.” Thompson also noted that those who were euthanized had fevers of 103 degrees.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (more commonly known as the ASPCA), “canine distemper is a virus that affects a dog’s respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems, as well as the conjunctival membranes of the eye…There is currently no available medication that can destroy the virus that causes canine distemper. Rather, supportive care is the mainstay of treatment. Some dogs are able to survive the infection, while for others canine distemper can be fatal.”
I am thrilled to hear that the animal shelter will be opening its doors again to the public beginning tomorrow, July 29th. I would also like to take this time to praise the clinic for being so proactive in their avoidance of a widespread outbreak. The distemper virus is spread between dogs, skunks, foxes and other animals through direct contact with fresh urine, blood or saliva. This means that a sneezing pup at the dog park or a sick dog sharing a water bowl with your fur-baby could have detrimental effects on your pets’ health. I commend their swift action—from the testing done with the Texas A&M Veterinary Clinic to confirm the diagnosis to the heart-wrenching decision to shut the doors and put any sick animals to sleep, not only was the shelter able to save the lives of 262 dogs, but they may have prevented such a catastrophic event from happening on a much wider scale. Just imagine if the staff there had not been as diligent in their observations or as knowledgeable as to dangers of distemper. Even one infected animal getting adopted out could have led to a canine epidemic.
The Bastrop County Animal Shelter may well have kept your four-legged friends protected, as I feel they did mine. By ringing the alarm and shutting the doors so early, I believe that they performed exceptionally well in a time of crisis. It is difficult to think about those 40 dogs that had to be put to sleep, but at the end of the day, I know that many will rest more soundly knowing that their pets are safe and that the Bastrop County Animal Shelter did what they had to for the greater good.
According to KXAN “the shelter is currently at maximum capacity, so they’re holding a special adoption event on Saturday, August 1 from 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Adult pets over one year will be $25. Cats less than one-year-old will be $45 and dogs less than one-year-old will be $75.” Spread the word, and let’s get those animals into some good homes and the Bastrop County Animal Shelter back on their feet!
1 comment:
On the blog Texas My Texas, Hallie Lane discussed the recent euthanization of more than 40 dogs due to an outbreak of distemper in Bastrop, Texas. The shelter was forced to close for a period of time and could not accept more animals. The Bastrop County Animal Shelter certainly did a commendable job when discovering distemper at their shelter. Although it truly is sad that so many animals had to be euthanized, it certainly prevented a more significant crisis in the area.
The saddest part to me is the fact that this issue could have been avoided entirely if people took better care of their animals. Bastrop County Animal Services Director Erica Thompson indicated that this type of outbreak will happen again if the community doesn’t do its part. In a Time Warner Cable News story, Director Thompson stated “Whoever owns these animals out in the community are not taking care of them properly. They need to keep them on their property, they need to get them vaccinated and keep their vaccinations current and get them spayed and neutered so they're not wandering around; otherwise, shelters will always be facing these issues.”
It is undeniable that health care for humans can be expensive, and even more so for the care of their animals. However, one of the responsibilities for owning a pet is caring for their health and protecting the community from animal-borne diseases such as rabies and distemper. Additionally, animals that are at not spayed/neutered intensify the problem by increasing the population of unwanted or feral animals.
Often, veterinary clinics and even pet stores offer lower priced vaccinations to prevent outbreaks of diseases. Dogs and cats can also be spayed or neutered at a discounted rate at some clinics. People should take the time to ensure that their animals are protected. Many programs have been developed to make the basic care of pets more accessible and more affordable. People just are not always doing the responsible thing and actually taking care of their pets.
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