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DALLAS – Dallas Animal Services is limiting intake at its shelter due to a distemper outbreak.
Testing is still underway to determine how widespread the outbreak is.
What we know:
Dallas Animal Services says it is only taking in dogs that are dangerous or critically ill.
As for other strays or would-be surrenders, they are asking the public to help with temporary housing.
Alexsey Dobberstine, the assistant general manager of medical at Dallas Animal Services, says so far eight dogs have tested positive for distemper.
She says they alerted recent adopters and fosters of the outbreak.
“We are fully gowning up in each room, so if he goes into a room he will fully change before going into another room,” said Dobberstine.
“We’ve limited intake for a short period of time to allow us to take a clean break.”
That means if someone calls to report a stray that is not dangerous or critically ill, the shelter will not pick it up.
“We are asking the public to understand that healthy strays and owner-surrenders need to be delayed for a short period while we create a safe environment,” she said.
What they’re saying:
Tami Kukla, an animal advocate, has concerns about the shelter not picking up reported strays.
“When people call 311 they are told to leave the animal that is a concern,” said Kukla.
Kukla says Dallas may lose the progress it made after Antoinette Brown was mauled by a pack of dogs in 2016.
That prompted non-profits to fund an extensive spay-neuter campaign.
“When you close intake, you are leaving all these dogs in the community and what is happening to them?” asked Kukla.
“I worry someone is going to get hurt.”
Local perspective:
On Monday evening, someone posted a photo of a dog tied to the side of Woodall Rodgers Freeway at Riverfront Boulevard.
The person commented that they could not get in contact with Dallas Animal Services.
“The response you get is it will be 72 hours, so it has to be escalated. Some of us emailed leadership at DAS City Hall. At 6:52 an officer was there. We were told they could not find the animal,” said Kukla.
Kukla says she is also concerned that DAS stopped giving booster vaccines for distemper until recently.
“It used to be where animals would receive double vaccinations. Somehow that was changed that concern was raised multiple times fast-forward to the distemper outbreak,” he said.
Dobberstine responded to the claim that double vaccinations for distemper have been changed.
“We reinstituted it recently. When? When we had first case,” she said.
Dobberstine says that was in June.
She is calling on the public to help take in strays during this time of limited intake.
“We encourage people to report them 311 so we can track where animals are, but we can’t pick them up unless there are a danger to themself or others.”
What’s next:
Dobberstine says if someone is able to take in a stray, they can still bring it here to Dallas Animal Services to get its vaccinations.
Dogs at the shelter are still safe to adopt as long as you can quarantine the dog, and your other dogs at home are vaccinated.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4’s Lori Brown.
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