SPOKANE, Wash. — Two of Spokane’s biggest animal shelters have been closed since last month because of separate virus outbreaks.
One hopes to reopen by next week, while the other said it may take a few weeks before reopening.
It has been 14 days since SpokAnimal closed its doors due to an outbreak of an unknown respiratory virus.
The shelter has completed multiple rounds of testing to determine which disease is spreading among the dogs, but it still doesn’t have an answer. More than 20 dogs have gotten sick, and two had to be euthanized.
SpokAnimal Executive Director Dori Peck said, “We had an elderly dog the day before yesterday that we did [euthanize]. He was suffering, and then the puppy yesterday that we were fighting so hard to save, she just was unable to recover.”
Meanwhile, SCRAPS in Spokane Valley said five of its dogs caught parvovirus, which attacks a dog’s immune system and intestines.
Four dogs had to be euthanized, but the shelter has not had a new case since Dec. 30.
SCRAPS hopes to resume dog adoptions and intakes once its quarantine ends in five days.
SpokAnimal, however, said its reopening date is still uncertain.
“We’re in the beginning of all of this and trying to figure all of this out. Until this is stopped and everybody is recovered, we are not reopening,” Peck said. “We are keeping this under quarantine to keep everybody safe.”
SpokAnimal said this two-week closure is not its longest. Two years ago, it closed for more than 60 days because of a respiratory virus that spread through the shelter.
For now, its staff is working around the clock to care for all the animals.
Peck said, “We’ve had so many people who have been going on our Amazon wishlist and sending us things that we need, like the nebulizers, the baby food, stuff for supportive care.”
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