A puppy being treated for the parvovirus at the Habersham County Animal Shelter. (Credit: Habersham County Animal Shelter)
HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. - A Georgia animal shelter has temporarily paused non-emergency animal intakes after nearly a dozen puppies surrendered tested positive for parvovirus.
What we know:
The Habersham County Animal Shelter said 11 puppies from several litters in one house were surrendered on Wednesday.
Hours later, the puppies started showing signs of parvo, and despite immediate intervention, one of them passed away not long after arriving.
The parvo was not disclosed to the shelter, and doctors said the virus had been present for an extended period.
Parvo is extremely contagious and has put all the animals housed at the shelter at risk.
Due to the situation, the shelter has temporarily paused all non-emergency intakes while it works to ensure 2 weeks without new cases.
The infected puppies are being housed in the cat quarantine area, which is also straining the shelter’s cat intake.
"We understand emergencies will still arise, and those will be handled on a case-by-case basis. However, we are proactively quarantining and limiting intake because it is the only responsible way to protect the animals already depending on us," the shelter said.
The cases have been reported to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
What you can do:
The shelter reemphasized to the community that it provides free parvovirus vaccines to Habersham County residents.
Employees will also provide all necessary supplies and vaccinations if you find a stray and can care for them until the facility is free of the virus.
Additionally, the animal center is requesting donations to continue treating parvo cases.
If you are interested in donating, call the animal center at 706-839-0195.
The Source: Information in this report comes from the Habersham County Animal Shelter.