GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Guilford County Animal Services has announced it will resume animal intake on Wednesday, Aug. 21. It had recently paused acceptance of new animals due to an outbreak of parvovirus, feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV) and ringworm at the Guilford Animal Resource Center, according to a release.
The diseases were spread through the shelter by unvaccinated stray animals that were brought during intake.
"Guilford County Animal Services staff has taken all necessary measures, including quarantining and isolating infected animals and thoroughly cleaning the resource center, to stop the spread of viruses and infections in the shelter," said Jorge Ortega, director of Guilford County Animal Services. "We encourage all pet owners to keep their pets up to date on all vaccines and boosters available as they are the best method to prevent viruses."
Following the outbreak, the shelter said it's confident their animals are now healthy and prepared for adoption.
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Guilford County Animal Services announced on Aug. 3 it would pause animal intake until further notice after a canine virus outbreak in their shelter.
"We will be temporarily pausing the intake of strays and owner surrenders to prevent the spread of parvovirus and other transmitted diseases," the shelter said.
Parvovirus, also referred to as canine parvovirus, is a highly contagious disease that "attacks white blood cells and the gastrointestinal tract of dogs and other canids like coyotes, wolves, and foxes. In puppies, the virus also can damage the heart muscle," according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
All dogs can become infected with the virus, but unvaccinated and incompletely vaccinated dogs are more susceptible to catching it. The virus is spread through direct contact with infected dogs.
The shelter will not accept stray pets or owner surrenders until intake reopens. Medical staff will monitor the health of the animals currently in the shelter.
According to a post, the shelter will still be open for adoptions.
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